What is involved in challenging a will?
It is happening more and more these days as baby boomer siblings fight over their parents’ estates.
For example, one man found that his mother left her entire $600,000 estate to his sister, and didn’t leave a dime to his daughter, whom his mother had doted on since she was a baby, according to an article on aarp.org.
Yes, you can challenge a will, but it can be costly and certain conditions must be met. Still, the chances of success are slim.
To succeed, you must prove one of four legal grounds: undue influence, fraud, improper execution or lack of mental capacity.
How much will it cost?
It depends, but experts say if all you are likely to win is a few thousand dollars, then it probably isn’t going to be worth it. You have to do a cost benefit analysis. And you need to think about whether it is worth the hurt feelings that are certain to be involved.
If you have questions about wills, feel free to call us for a consultation at (626) 696-3145.
