{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/64.2-308.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/64.2-308.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/64.2-308.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/64.2-308.html"}],"law_id":75762,"edition_id":1,"section_id":75762,"structure_id":13685,"section_number":"64.2-308","catch_line":"Statutory rights barred by desertion or abandonment","history":"1990, c. 831, \u00a7 64.1-16.3; 1992, c. 795; 2012, c. 614.","full_text":"A\n\nIf a spouse willfully deserts or abandons the other spouse and such desertion or abandonment continues until the death of the other spouse, the party who deserted the deceased spouse shall be barred of all interest in the decedent’s estate by intestate succession, elective share, exempt property, family allowance, and homestead allowance.B\n\nIf a parent willfully deserts or abandons his minor or incapacitated child and such desertion or abandonment continues until the death of the child, the parent shall be barred of all interest in the child’s estate by intestate succession.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":272021,"text":"If a spouse willfully deserts or abandons the other spouse and such desertion or abandonment continues until the death of the other spouse, the party who deserted the deceased spouse shall be barred of all interest in the decedent’s estate by intestate succession, elective share, exempt property, family allowance, and homestead allowance.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":272022,"text":"If a parent willfully deserts or abandons his minor or incapacitated child and such desertion or abandonment continues until the death of the child, the parent shall be barred of all interest in the child’s estate by intestate succession.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A"}},"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":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},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/64.2-308\/","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 2 times. 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. Those modifications are as follows: in 1992, chapter 795; in 2012, chapter 614<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":83538,"section_number":"64.2-500","catch_line":"Grant of administration with the will annexed","order_by":null,"url":"\/64.2-500\/"},{"id":78326,"section_number":"64.2-502","catch_line":"Grant of administration of intestate estate","order_by":null,"url":"\/64.2-502\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":272979,"object_type":"law","relational_id":75762,"identifier":"64.2-308","token":"64.2\/II\/3\/1\/64.2-308","url":"\/64.2-308\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/64.2-308\/","token":"64.2\/II\/3\/1\/64.2-308","dublin_core":{"Title":"Statutory rights barred by desertion or abandonment","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 64.2-308","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> If a spouse willfully deserts or abandons the other spouse and such desertion or abandonment continues until the death of the other spouse, the party<\/span> who deserted the deceased spouse shall be barred of all interest in the decedent’s estate by intestate succession, elective share, exempt property, family allowance, and homestead allowance. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> If a parent willfully deserts or abandons his minor<\/span> or incapacitated child and such desertion or abandonment continues until the death of the child, the parent shall be barred of all interest in the child’s estate by intestate succession. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nSTATUTORY RIGHTS BARRED BY DESERTION OR ABANDONMENT (\u00a7 64.2-308)\n\nA. If a spouse willfully deserts or abandons the other spouse and such desertion\nor abandonment continues until the death of the other spouse, the party who\ndeserted the deceased spouse shall be barred of all interest in the\ndecedent’s estate by intestate succession, elective share, exempt\nproperty, family allowance, and homestead allowance.\n\nB. If a parent willfully deserts or abandons his minor or incapacitated child\nand such desertion or abandonment continues until the death of the child, the\nparent shall be barred of all interest in the child’s estate by intestate\nsuccession.\n\nHISTORY: 1990, c. 831, \u00a7 64.1-16.3; 1992, c. 795; 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}}