Posted by Robert/FL on 1/11/10 11:54am
Msg #317523

Renunciation/relinquishment of dower

This is no longer an authorized duty in Florida but I am curious as to whether other states allow notaries to do this, and if so, what makes it different from any other notarial act? The NNA has described it as:

"A dower is the interest in the real estate of a deceased husband given by law to his widow during her lifetime. According to state officials, the Notary's power to facilitate a widow's giving up of an interest in her husband's estate is seldom if ever used anymore, due to the availability of other more efficient legal mechanisms. Thus, the Notary's power to take renunciation and relinquishment of dower is somewhat an anachronism in modern law."

IMO - this sounds like some type of form that the wife would fill out and have notarized in the same manner as any other document. Has anyone ever done one of these?