Delaware Code Title 12 Sec. 906 – Proceeding for elective share; time limit
(a) The surviving spouse may elect to take an elective share in the elective estate by filing in the Court of Chancery and mailing or delivering to the personal representative a petition for the elective share within 6 months after the grant of letters testamentary or of administration. The Court, upon petition, may extend the time for election as it sees fit for cause shown by the surviving spouse before the time for election has expired.
Terms Used In Delaware Code Title 12 Sec. 906
- Court: means the Court of Chancery. See Delaware Code Title 12 Sec. 39A-101
- Decedent: A deceased person.
- Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
- Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
- Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
- real property: is synonymous with the phrase "lands, tenements and hereditaments. See Delaware Code Title 1 Sec. 302
- Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
- State: means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, a federally recognized Indian tribe, or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. See Delaware Code Title 12 Sec. 39A-101
- Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
(b) The surviving spouse shall give at least 10 days’ notice by certified mail of the time and place set for hearing to persons interested in the estate and to the distributees and recipients of portions of the elective estate whose interests will be adversely affected by the taking of the elective share.
(c) The surviving spouse may withdraw demand for an elective share at any time before entry of a final determination by the Court of Chancery.
(d) After notice and hearing, the Court of Chancery shall determine the amount of the elective share and shall enter a judgment and order apportioning the liability for the amount of the elective share among the recipients of the contributing estate and directing payment of such liability as provided in § 908(a) of this title. If it appears that a fund or property included in the elective estate has not come into the possession of the personal representative, or has been distributed by the personal representative, the Court nevertheless shall fix the liability of any person who has any interest in the property or who has possession thereof, whether as trustee or otherwise.
(e) The order or judgment of the Court of Chancery may be enforced as necessary in suit for contribution or payment in other courts of this State or other jurisdictions.
(f) The Court of Chancery on petition of a surviving spouse may restrain any person from making a payment or transfer of property which constitutes part of the contributing estate, either before or after a petition for an elective share is filed.
(g) No transferee of, or holder of a lien against, real property comprising part of the contributing estate shall be liable to a surviving spouse if the transferee or lienholder has given bona fide consideration to the recipient of such real property from the decedent unless a certified copy of the judgment, order or decree of the Court of Chancery providing to the contrary with respect to such real property has been recorded in the office for the recording of deeds in the county where the real property is located prior to the recordation of the deed, mortgage or other instrument transferring, or creating the lien against, such real property. The recording of any such judgment, order or decree shall be indexed in the grantor‘s index under the names of the decedent and the recipient of such real property from the decedent.
59 Del. Laws, c. 384, § ?1; 67 Del. Laws, c. 240, § ?6; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § ?1;