If all the joint owners of an asset intended that when one of them died their share would pass to the other joint owner(s), then this is a survivorship asset. This type of asset is always owned equally and the deceased's share of the asset passes to the other joint owner(s) by survivorship.
Joint tenancy is most common among married couples because it helps property owners avoid probate. Without joint tenancy, a spouse would have to wait for their partner's Last Will to go through a legal review process—which can take months or even years.
Community Property with Right of Survivorship For example, let's say that married couple Joe and Jane own a inium as community property with the Right of Survivorship. If Jane dies, Joe automatically becomes the sole owner of the condo without going through the probate process.
By jointly owning property, you may find yourself party to a lawsuit if your co-owner is sued or the asset could be lost to a creditor of your co-owner. If your co-owner becomes incapacitated, you could find yourself “owning” the property with the co-owner's guardian or the courts.
An agreement confers a right of survivorship if the agreement states that on the death of one party to a joint account, all sums in the account on the date of the death vest in and belong to the surviving party as his or her separate property and estate.
To challenge the right of survivorship, the party contesting the right must file a lawsuit and prove their case in court with the help of a lawyer.
In most cases, you'll enter what's called a joint tenants with right of survivorship agreement. Known by its acronym, JTWROS, this agreement spells out the legal rights of all owners of a property and outlines what happens if one of the owners dies or wants to sell the home.
Texas law does not include a presumption of survivorship. In order for survivorship rights to apply to jointly-owned property, the owners must execute a written agreement covering survivorship rights. This must be filed with the county.
Joint Tenancy with Right of Survivorship (JTWROS)