Indiana § 32-17-14-16 - Changing or revoking a beneficiary designation

§ 32-17-14-16. Changing or revoking a beneficiary designation

Sec. 16. (a) A beneficiary designation may be revoked or changed during the lifetime of the owner.

(b) A revocation or change of a beneficiary designation involving property owned as tenants by the entirety must be made with the agreement of both tenants for so long as both tenants are alive. After an individual dies owning as a tenant by the entirety property that is subject to a beneficiary designation, the individual's surviving spouse may revoke or change the beneficiary designation.

(c) A revocation or change of a beneficiary designation involving property owned in a form of ownership (other than as tenants by the entirety) that restricts conveyance of the interest unless another person joins in the conveyance must be made with the agreement of each living owner required to join in a conveyance.

(d) A revocation or change of a beneficiary designation involving property owned by joint owners with a right of survivorship must be made with the agreement of each living owner.

(e) A subsequent beneficiary designation revokes a prior beneficiary designation unless the subsequent beneficiary designation expressly provides otherwise.

(f) A revocation or change in a beneficiary designation must comply with the terms of any governing instrument, this chapter, and any other applicable law.

(g) A beneficiary designation may not be revoked or changed by a will or trust unless the beneficiary designation expressly grants the owner the right to revoke or change the beneficiary designation by a will or trust.

(h) A transfer during the owner's lifetime of the owner's interest in the property, with or without consideration, terminates the beneficiary designation with respect to the property transferred. However, if the owner's interest is in real property, the deed of conveyance is void if it is not recorded before the death of the owner with the recorder of deeds in the county where the real property is situated.

(i) The effective date of a revocation or change in a beneficiary designation is determined in the same manner as the effective date of a beneficiary designation.

(j) An owner may revoke a beneficiary designation made in a transfer on death deed by executing and recording before the death of the owner with the recorder of deeds in the county in which the real property is situated either:

(1) a subsequent deed of conveyance revoking, omitting, or changing the beneficiary designation; or

(2) an affidavit acknowledged or proved under IC 32-21-2-3 that revokes or changes the beneficiary designation.

A deed of conveyance or affidavit described in this subsection is void if it is not recorded before the death of the owner with the recorder of deeds in the county where the real property is situated.

(k) A physical act, such as a written modification on or the destruction of a transfer on death deed after the transfer on death deed has been recorded, has no effect on the beneficiary designation.

(l) A transfer on death deed may not be revoked or modified by will or trust.

As added by P.L.143-2009, SEC.41. Amended by P.L.6-2010, SEC.32; P.L.231-2019, SEC.44.