Except in limited circumstances, children generally do not have a right to inherit anything (real property or personal property) from their parents. Laws do vary from state to state and in some states, for example, the head of a household may be prohibited from leaving the family homestead to anyone other than a surviving spouse or minor child if such person is alive.

And most states have laws that protect children (and sometimes grandchildren) against accidental inheritance in certain limited circumstances. These laws usually apply when a child is born after a parent’s will is executed, and because the will leaves property to the child’s siblings, it appears that the parent did not intend to disinherit the new child. In this circumstance the child who was not mentioned in the will may be eligible to inherit a portion of the estate like the child’s siblings. Such an omitted child is also known as a pretermitted child or a pretermitted heir.

In states with pretermitted child laws, the laws are usually located in the state’s statutes—often in the estates code or probate code.

In Missouri, children do not have an automatic right to inherit from their parents, except under certain circumstances. Missouri law, specifically under the Missouri Revised Statutes, provides for the protection of children who may have been unintentionally omitted from a will. This is addressed under the concept of a pretermitted heir. According to Missouri's probate laws, if a child is born or adopted after the execution of a parent's will and the will does not provide for that child, nor demonstrate an intention to exclude the child, then the child may have a right to a share of the estate. This share is typically equivalent to what they would have received if the parent had died intestate (without a will). However, if the will shows that the omission was intentional, or if the parent made other provisions for the child outside of the will, the child may not be entitled to an inheritance. It's important to note that these protections do not apply if the parent has intentionally disinherited the child in a clear and explicit manner within the will.