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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>70832</law_id><section_number>6.2-608</section_number><catch_line>Right of survivorship</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>6.2-605</reference><reference>6.2-609</reference><reference>6.2-610</reference><reference>6.2-613</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="6.2">Financial Institutions and Services</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="II">Depository Institutions and Trust Organizations</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="6">Deposits and Accounts</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="2">Multiple-Party Accounts</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> Sums remaining on deposit at the death of a <span class="dictionary">party</span> to a <span class="dictionary">joint account</span> belong to the surviving <span class="dictionary">party</span> as against the estate of the decedent unless there is clear and convincing <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> of a different intention at the time the account is created. If there are two or more surviving parties, their respective ownerships during their lifetime shall be in proportion to their previous ownership interests under &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Ownership during lifetime; garnishment, attachment, or levy" href="/6.2-606/">6.2-606</a> augmented by an equal share for each survivor of any interest the decedent may have owned in the account immediately before his death; and the right of survivorship continues between the surviving parties. <a id="paragraph-255419" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/6.2-608/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> If the account is a P.O.D. account: <a id="paragraph-255420" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/6.2-608/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B1" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> On the death of one of two or more original payees, the rights to any sums remaining on deposit are governed by subsection A; <a id="paragraph-255421" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/6.2-608/#B1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B2" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> On the death of the sole original payee or of the survivor of two or more original payees, any sums remaining on deposit belong to the P.O.D. payee or payees if surviving, or to the survivor of them if one or more die before the original payee. If two or more P.O.D. payees survive, there is no right of survivorship in the event of death of a P.O.D. payee thereafter unless the terms of the account or deposit agreement expressly provide for survivorship between them. <a id="paragraph-255422" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/6.2-608/#B2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> If the account is a <span class="dictionary">trust account</span>: <a id="paragraph-255423" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/6.2-608/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C1" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> On the death of one of two or more trustees, the rights to any sums remaining on deposit are governed by subsection A; <a id="paragraph-255424" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/6.2-608/#C1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C2" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> On the death of the sole trustee or the survivor of two or more trustees, any sums remaining on deposit belong to the <span class="dictionary">persons</span> named as beneficiaries, if surviving, or to the survivor of them if one or more die before the trustee, unless there is clear <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> of a contrary <span class="dictionary">intent</span>. If two or more beneficiaries survive the death of the sole trustee or the last survivor of two or more trustees, there is no right of survivorship in the event of death of any <span class="dictionary">beneficiary</span> thereafter unless the terms of the account or deposit agreement expressly provide for survivorship between them. <a id="paragraph-255425" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/6.2-608/#C2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> In other cases, the death of any <span class="dictionary">party</span> to a <span class="dictionary">multiple-<span class="dictionary">party</span> account</span> has no effect on beneficial ownership of the account other than to transfer the rights of the decedent as part of his estate. If the terms of the account clearly indicate that there is no right of survivorship, the estate of a decedent <span class="dictionary">party</span> shall succeed to the rights of decedent in such account. <a id="paragraph-255426" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/6.2-608/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="E"><p><span class="prefix-number">E.</span> A right of survivorship arising from the express terms of the account or under this section, a <span class="dictionary">beneficiary</span> designation in a <span class="dictionary">trust account</span>, or a P.O.D. payee designation, cannot be changed by will. <a id="paragraph-255427" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/6.2-608/#E"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1979, c. 407, &#xA7; 6.1-125.5; 1981, c. 53; 2010, c. 794.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
