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.
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.
For example, if two unmarried partners make equal contributions toward purchasing a inium and they choose to hold title as joint tenants, the surviving joint tenant will automatically become the sole and separate owner of the inium after the first joint tenant dies.
Joint tenants with the right of survivorship (JTWROS) is a legal structure where two or more parties share ownership of a financial account or another asset. When one of the joint owners dies, their share automatically passes to the surviving co-owner(s).
Joint Tenancy with Right of Survivorship (JTWROS)
A key characteristic of joint tenancy is the Right of Survivorship. When one joint tenant dies, their interest in the property automatically passes to the surviving joint tenant(s). This means that ownership is not part of the deceased owner's estate and does not require probate to transfer.
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.
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.
In Florida, a joint tenancy can be terminated in several ways, including through the sale of the property, divorce, death of a joint tenant, or mutual agreement between the tenants.
Joint Tenancy with Right of Survivorship Florida A joint tenancy with right of survivorship has all the same features of a joint tenancy with the additional feature that when one joint tenant passes away, his or her interest in the real property will automatically pass to the survivor joint tenants by operational law.