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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>75762</law_id><section_number>64.2-308</section_number><catch_line>Statutory rights barred by desertion or abandonment</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>64.2-500</reference><reference>64.2-502</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="II">Wills and Decedents' Estates</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="3">Rights of Married Persons</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="1">Elective Share of Surviving Spouse</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">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 <span class="dictionary">party</span> who deserted the deceased spouse shall be barred of all interest in the decedent&#x2019;s estate by intestate succession, elective share, exempt property, family allowance, and homestead allowance. <a id="paragraph-272021" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/64.2-308/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> If a parent willfully deserts or abandons his <span class="dictionary">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&#x2019;s estate by intestate succession. <a id="paragraph-272022" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/64.2-308/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1990, c. 831, &#xA7; 64.1-16.3; 1992, c. 795; 2012, c. 614.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
