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.
Joint tenancy is a way for two or more people to own property in equal shares so that when one of the joint tenants dies, the property can pass to the surviving joint tenant(s) without having to go through probate court.
A: In California, the timeframe for transferring property after death can vary depending on several factors, such as whether the estate goes through probate, utilizes a trust, or qualifies for a simple transfer process. Generally, the process can take between 7 months and 12 months from the time the petition is filed.
The order of priority is any surviving spouse or domestic partner, then a child, then a grandchild, then a parent, and then a sibling.
Joint tenancy is a way for two or more people to own property in equal shares so that when one of the joint tenants dies, the property can pass to the surviving joint tenant(s) without having to go through probate court.
Unity of Time, Title, Interest, and Possession: For a joint tenancy to be valid, all joint tenants must acquire their interest in the property at the same time, through the same deed, with equal interest, and have equal rights to possess the entire property.
With joint tenancy the right of survivorship is implied, so if one joint tenant dies, the other joint tenant or tenants automatically become the owners of the deceased tenant's interest in the property without the property having to pass through probate.
For example, a married couple or pair of business partners might hold a bank account in joint tenancy with right of survivorship. The same may hold true of personal property, such as a vehicle, when purchased jointly.
With joint tenancy the right of survivorship is implied, so if one joint tenant dies, the other joint tenant or tenants automatically become the owners of the deceased tenant's interest in the property without the property having to pass through probate.