§ 28-39-401 - Rights of surviving spouse -- Limitations. - Arkansas Statutes

28-39-401. Rights of surviving spouse -- Limitations.

(a) When a married person dies testate as to all or any part of his or her estate, the surviving spouse shall have the right to take against the will if the surviving spouse has been married to the decedent continuously for a period in excess of one (1) year.

(b) In the event of such an election, the rights of the surviving spouse in the estate of the deceased spouse shall be limited to the following:

(1) The surviving spouse, if a woman, shall receive dower in the deceased husband's real estate and personal property as if he had died intestate. The dower shall be additional to her homestead rights and statutory allowances; and

(2) The surviving spouse, if a man, shall receive a curtesy interest in the real and personal property of the deceased spouse to the same extent as if she had died intestate. The curtesy interest shall be additional to his homestead rights and statutory allowances; and

(3) If, after the assignment of dower or curtesy, as the case may be, and the payment of all statutory allowances, taxes, and debts, and the satisfaction of all testamentary gifts and devises, there shall remain some residue of the deceased spouse's estate which is not disposed of by will, then, if the deceased spouse shall have been survived by no natural or adopted child, or the descendants of any natural or adopted child, and by no parent, brother, sister, grandparent, uncle, aunt, great-grandparent, great-uncle, great-aunt, or the lineal descendants of any of them, then the surviving spouse will take by inheritance the undisposed residue.