Final answer:
States without dower and curtsey typically adopt community property laws and elective share laws, providing surviving spouses with the right to claim a portion of the deceased spouse's estate.
Step-by-step explanation:
States that do not have dower and curtsey usually have community property laws and elective share laws. The alternative to the historical practices of dower (rights of a widow to the property of her deceased husband) and curtsey (rights of a widower to the property of his deceased wife) is found in the modern elective share system.
This system allows the surviving spouse to claim a percentage of the deceased spouse's estate, instead of the property interests that would have been afforded by dower and curtsey practices.