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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>55065</law_id><section_number>64.2-2205</section_number><catch_line>Exceptions</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>64.2-2201</reference><reference>64.2-2202</reference><reference>64.2-2203</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="64.2">Wills, Trusts, and Fiduciaries</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="V">Provisions Applicable to Probate and Nonprobate Transfers</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="22">Uniform Simultaneous Death Act</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>Survival by 120 hours is not required if:</p></section>
						<section id="1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> The <span class="dictionary">governing instrument</span> contains language dealing explicitly with (i) simultaneous deaths or deaths in a common disaster and that language is operable under the <span class="dictionary">facts</span> of the case, (ii) deaths under circumstances where the <span class="dictionary">order</span> of death cannot be established by proof, or (iii) the marital deduction, or the <span class="dictionary">governing instrument</span> contains a provision to or for the benefit of the decedent&#x2019;s spouse where it is the decedent&#x2019;s <span class="dictionary">intent</span>, as manifested from the <span class="dictionary">governing instrument</span> or external <span class="dictionary">evidence</span>, that the decedent&#x2019;s estate receive the benefit of the federal estate tax marital deduction; <a id="paragraph-201952" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/64.2-2205/#1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="2"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> The <span class="dictionary">governing instrument</span> expressly indicates that an individual is not required to survive an event, including the death of another individual, by any specified period or expressly requires the individual to survive the event, including the death of another individual, for a specified period; but survival of the event, another individual, or the specified period shall be established by clear and convincing <span class="dictionary">evidence</span>; <a id="paragraph-201953" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/64.2-2205/#2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="3"><p><span class="prefix-number">3.</span> The imposition of a 120-hour requirement of survival would cause a nonvested property interest or a power of appointment to be invalid under the Uniform Statutory Rule Against Perpetuities (&#xA7;&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Uniform Statutory Rule Against Perpetuities" href="/55.1-124/">55.1-124</a> through <a class="law" title="Uniformity of application and construction" href="/55.1-129/">55.1-129</a>); but survival shall be established by clear and convincing <span class="dictionary">evidence</span>; or <a id="paragraph-201954" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/64.2-2205/#3"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="4"><p><span class="prefix-number">4.</span> The application of a 120-hour requirement of survival to multiple <span class="dictionary">governing instruments</span> would result in an unintended failure or duplication of a <span class="dictionary">disposition</span>; but survival shall be established by clear and convincing <span class="dictionary">evidence</span>. <a id="paragraph-201955" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/64.2-2205/#4"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1994, c. 475, &#xA7; 64.1-104.6; 2012, c. 614.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
