Section 72 — Property (Relationships) Act 1976: Distribution of estate after choice made but before proceedings commenced

72 Distribution of estate after choice made but before proceedings commenced (1) If a surviving spouse or partner chooses option A, the administrator or trustee of the estate of the deceased spouse or partner must not distribute any part of the estate before— (a) the surviving spouse or partner applies for a division of relationship property under this Act; or (b) the expiry of the period specified in section 62(1) (or any extension of that period granted under section 62(2) ),— whichever happens first. (2) Despite subsection (1) , a distribution may be made in any of the cases referred to in section 71(2) . Sections 55 to 57 were repealed, and new Part 8 (comprising sections 55 to 95) and Part 9 (comprising sections 96 to 99) were inserted, as from 1 February 2002, by section 61 Property (Relationships) Amendment Act 2001 (2001 No 5). See Part 9 of this Act as to the transitional and saving provisions. Subsection (1) was amended, as from 26 April 2005, by section 3(2) Property (Relationships) Amendment Act 2005 (2005 No 19) by substituting the word “ partner ” for the words “ de facto partner ” wherever they appear.