What is the requirement in the 120-hour rule regarding survival to inherit property?

The 120-hour rule, often specified in the context of wills and inheritance, stipulates that for a beneficiary to inherit property from a decedent, that beneficiary must survive the decedent by at least 120 hours. This means that if a person does not outlive the decedent by this specified time frame, they are treated as if they predeceased the decedent, which can affect their entitlement to inherit.

The reason the rule is set at 120 hours, or five days, rather than shorter or longer time frames, is to provide clarity and certainty in the distribution of the estate. It alleviates potential legal disputes about the exact timing of death in close cases, ensuring that beneficiaries have a clear requirement to meet in order to inherit.

The other time frames mentioned in the options do not align with the established norm of 120 hours. For instance, 72 hours, 144 hours, and 96 hours do not reflect the legal standard and could lead to confusion in the determination of survivorship when it comes to will execution and estate administration. Therefore, the correct understanding of the rule clearly indicates the necessity of surviving the decedent by 120 hours to inherit property.