(a) A person, or the representative of a deceased, incapacitated person, protected person, incompetent or ward, who is an heir, next of kin, devisee, legatee, grantee, donee, surviving joint tenant, person succeeding to a disclaimed interest, beneficiary under a testamentary or nontestamentary instrument or contract, or appointee under a power of appointment exercised by a testamentary or nontestamentary instrument, or to whom any property or interest therein devolves, by whatever means, may disclaim in whole or in part the right of succession to any property or interest therein by delivering or filing a written disclaimer under this article.

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Terms Used In Alabama Code 43-8-291

  • Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. Source: OCC
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Donee: The recipient of a gift.
  • Joint tenancy: A form of property ownership in which two or more parties hold an undivided interest in the same property that was conveyed under the same instrument at the same time. A joint tenant can sell his (her) interest but not dispose of it by will. Upon the death of a joint tenant, his (her) undivided interest is distributed among the surviving joint tenants.
  • Legatee: A beneficiary of a decedent
  • person: includes a corporation as well as a natural person. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
  • property: includes both real and personal property. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
  • Right of survivorship: The ownership rights that result in the acquisition of title to property by reason of having survived other co-owners.
(b) A surviving joint tenant may disclaim as a separate interest any property or interest therein devolving to him by right of survivorship. A surviving joint tenant may disclaim the entire interest in any property or interest therein that is the subject of a joint tenancy devolving to him, if the joint tenancy was created by act of a deceased joint tenant, if the survivor did not join in creating the joint tenancy.
(c) The right to disclaim exists notwithstanding any limitation on the interest of the disclaimant in the nature of a spendthrift provision or similar restriction.