What primarily determines survivorship rights in a joint bank account?

• A. The account owner's intention at the time the second party was added.
• B. The bank's standard form governs rights.
• C. A decedent's will governs survivorship.
• D. State statute overrides owner’s intent.

Answer: (A)

Survivorship rights come from how the account is owned, which is determined by the owner’s intent when the second party is added. When you add someone as a co-owner, you’re choosing the ownership form—if you want the survivor to automatically receive the funds, you designate a joint account with right of survivorship. That intent is captured in the account documents and controls what happens on death, not the will or some general bank rule. The bank’s form is the vehicle that records that choice, but it doesn’t independently decide survivorship without the owner’s stated intent. A will governs probate assets, not the survivorship outcome for a properly named joint account, and state laws would come into play only if the ownership form isn’t clear or there’s ambiguity. So the key factor is what the account owner intended at the moment the second party was added.