Current through the 2024 Legislative Session
Section 560:2-301 - Entitlement of spouse or reciprocal beneficiary; premarital will(a) If a testator's surviving spouse married the testator, or the testator's reciprocal beneficiary entered into a reciprocal beneficiary relationship with the testator, after the testator executed the testator's will, the surviving spouse or reciprocal beneficiary is entitled to receive, as an intestate share, no less than the value of the share of the estate the spouse or reciprocal beneficiary would have received if the testator had died intestate as to that portion of the testator's estate, if any, that neither is devised to a child of the testator who was born before the testator married the surviving spouse or entered into a reciprocal beneficiary relationship with the surviving reciprocal beneficiary and who is not a child of the surviving spouse or reciprocal beneficiary, nor is devised to a descendant of such a child or passes under section 560:2-603 or 560:2-604 to such a child or to a descendant of such a child, unless: (1) It appears from the will or other evidence that the will was made in contemplation of: (A) The testator's marriage to the surviving spouse; or(B) The testator's entering into a reciprocal beneficiary relationship with the reciprocal beneficiary;(2) The will expresses the intention that it is to be effective notwithstanding any subsequent marriage, or reciprocal beneficiary relationship; or(3) The testator provided for the spouse or reciprocal beneficiary by transfer outside the will and the intent that the transfer be in lieu of a testamentary provision is shown by the testator's statements or is reasonably inferred from the amount of the transfer or other evidence.(b) In satisfying the share provided by this section, devises made by the will to the testator's surviving spouse, or reciprocal beneficiary, if any, are applied first, and other devises, other than a devise to a child of the testator who was born before the testator married the surviving spouse, or entered a reciprocal beneficiary relationship with the reciprocal beneficiary, and who is not a child of the surviving spouse or reciprocal beneficiary, or a devise or substitute gift under section 560:2-603 or 560:2-604 to a descendant of such a child, abate as provided in section 560:3-902.L 1996, c 288, pt of §1; am L 1997, c 383, §15