Disclaimers are used by those who receive property as heirs or legatees in an estate, or by beneficiaries of a non-testamentary transfer of property at death; for example, the beneficiaries of a life insurance policy. A disclaimer is simply a declaration by the person entitled to property that the interest in that property is disclaimed or renounced. A disclaimer allows the disclaiming heir or beneficiary to disclaim an interest in such a fashion that the right to the property that is disclaimed is treated as if it never existed.
The Uniform Disclaimers of Property Interests Act (which has been adopted by a number of states) provides the authority to make disclaimers, what interests may be disclaimed, the time when disclaimers are effective, and the effect on the distribution of the disclaimed property interests.
