{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/64.2-301.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/64.2-301.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/64.2-301.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/64.2-301.html"}],"law_id":65456,"edition_id":1,"section_id":65456,"structure_id":13685,"section_number":"64.2-301","catch_line":"Dower or curtesy abolished","history":"1990, c. 831, \u00a7 64.1-19.2; 2012, c. 614.","full_text":"The interests of dower and curtesy are abolished. However, the abolition of dower and curtesy pursuant to this section shall not change or diminish the nature or right of (i) any dower or curtesy interest of a surviving spouse whose dower or curtesy vested prior to January 1, 1991, or (ii) a creditor or other interested third party in any real estate subject to a right of dower or curtesy.\n\t\tThe rights of all such parties, and the procedures for enforcing such rights, shall continue to be governed by the laws in force prior to January 1, 1991.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":238023,"text":"The interests of dower and curtesy are abolished. However, the abolition of dower and curtesy pursuant to this section shall not change or diminish the nature or right of (i) any dower or curtesy interest of a surviving spouse whose dower or curtesy vested prior to January 1, 1991, or (ii) a creditor or other interested third party in any real estate subject to a right of dower or curtesy.\n\t\tThe rights of all such parties, and the procedures for enforcing such rights, shall continue to be governed by the laws in force prior to January 1, 1991.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":13685,"edition_id":1,"name":"Elective Share of Surviving Spouse","identifier":"1","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12864,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:45:33","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:45:33","permalink":{"id":272945,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13685,"identifier":"1","token":"64.2\/II\/3\/1","url":"\/64.2\/II\/3\/1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12864,"edition_id":1,"name":"Rights of Married Persons","identifier":"3","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12863,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:57","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:57","permalink":{"id":272943,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12864,"identifier":"3","token":"64.2\/II\/3","url":"\/64.2\/II\/3\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12863,"edition_id":1,"name":"Wills and Decedents' Estates","identifier":"II","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12723,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:57","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:57","permalink":{"id":272911,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12863,"identifier":"II","token":"64.2\/II","url":"\/64.2\/II\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12723,"edition_id":1,"name":"Wills, Trusts, and Fiduciaries","identifier":"64.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:50","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:50","permalink":{"id":272781,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12723,"identifier":"64.2","token":"64.2","url":"\/64.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":82689,"structure_id":13685,"section_number":"64.2-300","catch_line":"Applicability; definitions","url":"\/64.2-300\/","token":"64.2\/II\/3\/1\/64.2-300","metadata":false},{"id":65456,"structure_id":13685,"section_number":"64.2-301","catch_line":"Dower or curtesy abolished","url":"\/64.2-301\/","token":"64.2\/II\/3\/1\/64.2-301","metadata":false},{"id":75301,"structure_id":13685,"section_number":"64.2-302","catch_line":"When and how elective share may be claimed by surviving spouse","url":"\/64.2-302\/","token":"64.2\/II\/3\/1\/64.2-302","metadata":false},{"id":67214,"structure_id":13685,"section_number":"64.2-303","catch_line":"Extension of time until after determination of action for construction of will or extent of augmented estate","url":"\/64.2-303\/","token":"64.2\/II\/3\/1\/64.2-303","metadata":false},{"id":75855,"structure_id":13685,"section_number":"64.2-304","catch_line":"Rights upon claiming an elective share","url":"\/64.2-304\/","token":"64.2\/II\/3\/1\/64.2-304","metadata":false},{"id":60057,"structure_id":13685,"section_number":"64.2-305","catch_line":"Augmented estate; exclusions; valuation","url":"\/64.2-305\/","token":"64.2\/II\/3\/1\/64.2-305","metadata":false},{"id":62978,"structure_id":13685,"section_number":"64.2-306","catch_line":"Charging spouse with the value of property received; liability of others for balance of elective share","url":"\/64.2-306\/","token":"64.2\/II\/3\/1\/64.2-306","metadata":false},{"id":54664,"structure_id":13685,"section_number":"64.2-307","catch_line":"Rights in family residence","url":"\/64.2-307\/","token":"64.2\/II\/3\/1\/64.2-307","metadata":false},{"id":75762,"structure_id":13685,"section_number":"64.2-308","catch_line":"Statutory rights barred by desertion or abandonment","url":"\/64.2-308\/","token":"64.2\/II\/3\/1\/64.2-308","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":82689,"structure_id":13685,"section_number":"64.2-300","catch_line":"Applicability; definitions","url":"\/64.2-300\/","token":"64.2\/II\/3\/1\/64.2-300","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":75301,"structure_id":13685,"section_number":"64.2-302","catch_line":"When and how elective share may be claimed by surviving spouse","url":"\/64.2-302\/","token":"64.2\/II\/3\/1\/64.2-302","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/64.2-301\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1990. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 831 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1990 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 1 time. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. That modification is as follows: in 2012, chapter 614<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":86281,"section_number":"55.1-209","catch_line":"Equitable separate estates abolished","order_by":null,"url":"\/55.1-209\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":272951,"object_type":"law","relational_id":65456,"identifier":"64.2-301","token":"64.2\/II\/3\/1\/64.2-301","url":"\/64.2-301\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/64.2-301\/","token":"64.2\/II\/3\/1\/64.2-301","dublin_core":{"Title":"Dower or curtesy abolished","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 64.2-301","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

The interests of dower and curtesy are abolished. However, the abolition of dower and curtesy pursuant to this section shall not change or diminish the nature or right of (i) any dower or curtesy interest of a surviving spouse whose dower or curtesy vested prior to January 1, 1991, or (ii) a creditor<\/span> or other interested third party<\/span> in any real estate subject to a right of dower or curtesy.\n\t\tThe rights of all such parties, and the procedures for enforcing such rights, shall continue to be governed by the laws<\/span> in force prior to January 1, 1991.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nDOWER OR CURTESY ABOLISHED (\u00a7 64.2-301)\n\nThe interests of dower and curtesy are abolished. However, the abolition of\ndower and curtesy pursuant to this section shall not change or diminish the\nnature or right of (i) any dower or curtesy interest of a surviving spouse whose\ndower or curtesy vested prior to January 1, 1991, or (ii) a creditor or other\ninterested third party in any real estate subject to a right of dower or\ncurtesy.\n\t\tThe rights of all such parties, and the procedures for enforcing such rights,\nshall continue to be governed by the laws in force prior to January 1, 1991.\n\nHISTORY: 1990, c. 831, \u00a7 64.1-19.2; 2012, c. 614.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}