Section 4-1.2. Inheritance by non-marital children  


Latest version.
  • (a) For the purposes of this article:
        (1)  A non-marital child is the legitimate child of his mother so that
      he and his issue inherit from his mother and from his maternal kindred.
        (2) A non-marital child is the legitimate child of his father so  that
      he and his issue inherit from his father and his paternal kindred if:
        (A)  a court of competent jurisdiction has, during the lifetime of the
      father, made an order of filiation declaring paternity or the mother and
      father of  the  child  have  executed  an  acknowledgment  of  paternity
      pursuant  to  section  four  thousand  one  hundred thirty-five-b of the
      public health law, which has  been  filed  with  the  registrar  of  the
      district in which the birth certificate has been filed or;
        (B)  the  father  of  the child has signed an instrument acknowledging
      paternity, provided that
        (i) such instrument is acknowledged or executed or proved in the  form
      required to entitle a deed to be recorded in the presence of one or more
      witnesses and acknowledged by such witness or witnesses, in either case,
      before  a  notary  public  or  other officer authorized to take proof of
      deeds and
        (ii) such instrument is  filed  within  sixty  days  from  the  making
      thereof  with  the  putative  father  registry  established by the state
      department  of  social  services  pursuant  to  section  three   hundred
      seventy-two-c  of  the  social  services  law,  as  added by chapter six
      hundred sixty-five of the laws of nineteen hundred seventy-six and
        (iii) the department of social services shall, within  seven  days  of
      the  filing of the instrument, send written notice by registered mail to
      the mother and other legal guardian of such child, notifying  them  that
      an  acknowledgment  of  paternity instrument acknowledged or executed by
      such father has been duly filed or;
        (C) paternity has been established by clear  and  convincing  evidence
      and  the father of the child has openly and notoriously acknowledged the
      child as his own; or
        (D) a blood genetic marker test had been administered  to  the  father
      which  together  with  other evidence establishes paternity by clear and
      convincing evidence.
        (3) The existence of an agreement obligating the father to support the
      non-marital child does not qualify such child or his  issue  to  inherit
      from  the  father  in  the  absence  of  an  order  of filiation made or
      acknowledgement of paternity as prescribed by subparagraph (2).
        (4) A motion for relief from an order of filiation may be made only by
      the father and a motion for relief from an acknowledgement of  paternity
      may be made by the father, mother or other legal guardian of such child,
      or the child, provided however, such motion must be made within one year
      from  the  entry  of  such  order  or from the date of written notice as
      provided for in subparagraph (2).
        (b) If a non-marital child dies, his surviving spouse, issue,  mother,
      maternal  kindred,  father and paternal kindred inherit and are entitled
      to letters  of  administration  as  if  the  decedent  were  legitimate,
      provided that the father and paternal kindred may inherit or obtain such
      letters  only  if  the  paternity  of  the  non-marital  child  has been
      established pursuant to provisions of clause (A) of subparagraph (2)  of
      paragraph  (a)  or  the  father  has  signed an instrument acknowledging
      paternity and filed the same in accordance with the provisions of clause
      (B)  of  subparagraph  (2)  of  paragraph  (a)  or  paternity  has  been
      established by clear and convincing evidence and the father of the child
      has openly and notoriously acknowledged the child as his own.