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.
In the context of joint tenancy, typically four unities are required for its valid creation: Unity of Possession, Unity of Interest, Unity of Time, and Unity of Title, collectively referred to as the 'four unities' in property law. However, one example of a 'unity' that is not required is the Unity of Marriage.
Historically, the common law required that in order for a joint tenancy to be created, the co-owners must share the “four unities” of (1) time – the property interest must be acquired by both tenants at the same time; (2) title - both tenants must have the same title to the property in the deed; (3) interest - both ...
The key feature that distinguishes joint tenancy from other types of ownership rights is that the surviving joint tenant(s) acquires the shares held by another tenant upon their death.
Right of survivorship. Sums remaining on deposit at the death of a party to a joint account belong to the surviving party or parties as against the estate of the decedent unless there is clear and convincing evidence of a different intention.
Joint Tenancy with Right of Survivorship (JTWROS)
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 tenants (JT), or joint tenants with rights of survivorship (JTWROS), are the forms of ownership most commonly used by married couples.
For instance, if you're married, the most common way to title your home is Tenancy by the Entirety (TBE).