3B:7-1.1 Effect of intentional killing on intestate succession, wills, trusts, joint assets, life insurance and beneficiary designations.

58. Effect of intentional killing on intestate succession, wills, trusts, joint assets, life insurance and beneficiary designations.

a. An individual who is responsible for the intentional killing of the decedent forfeits all benefits under this title with respect to the decedent's estate, including an intestate share, an elective share, an omitted spouse's, domestic partner's or child's share, exempt property and a family allowance. If the decedent died intestate, the decedent's intestate estate passes as if the killer disclaimed his share.

b. The intentional killing of the decedent:

(1) revokes any revocable (a) disposition or appointment of property made by decedent to the killer in a governing instrument and any disposition or appointment created by law or in a governing instrument to a relative of the killer, (b) provision in a governing instrument conferring a general or special power of appointment on the killer or a relative of the killer, and (c) nomination in a governing instrument of the killer or a relative of the killer, nominating or appointing the killer or a relative of the killer to serve in any fiduciary or representative capacity; and

(2) severs the interests of the decedent and the killer in property held by them at the time of the killing as joint tenants with the right of survivorship or as tenants by the entireties, transforming the interests of the decedent and killer into tenancies in common.

c. For purposes of this chapter: (1) "governing instrument" means a governing instrument executed by the decedent; and (2) "relative of the killer" means an individual who is related to the killer by blood, adoption or affinity and who is not related to the decedent by blood or adoption or affinity.

L.2004,c.132,s.58; amended 2005, c.160, s.8; 2005, c.331, s.6.