{"id":1173,"date":"2018-01-12T21:54:09","date_gmt":"2018-01-12T21:54:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/law-oh.com\/?p=1173"},"modified":"2018-01-12T21:54:09","modified_gmt":"2018-01-12T21:54:09","slug":"common-reasons-for-contesting-a-will-or-trust","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/law-oh.com\/common-reasons-for-contesting-a-will-or-trust\/","title":{"rendered":"Common Reasons for Contesting a Will or Trust"},"content":{"rendered":"

You do not currently have a featured image set for this post. To set your featured image, click on the circular Meta View button and set your image in the box on the bottom right.<\/p>\n

Some people assume that the only reason someone
\nwould contest a will is out of self-interest.<\/h4>\n

While there are certainly times in which people attempt to
\ncontest a will solely for financial gain, there are other circumstances in
\nwhich the deceased might not have provided clear guidance within their estate
\nplanning documents<\/strong>, which could make contesting a will necessary.<\/p>\n

This is one of the most pressing reasons why it is so important
\nfor people who are drafting wills <\/strong>to be as thorough as possible. They
\nshould everything they can minimize the risk of a will being contested, as it
\ncould create a mess in court and lead to harmful arguments among friends and
\nfamily members.<\/p>\n

A basic understanding of probate law<\/strong> can help you contest a
\nwill or trust<\/a>. Below is some key information you may find useful in
\na variety of circumstances.<\/p>\n

The deceased has more than one will discovered among his or her files<\/h2>\n

There are some cases in which the deceased may have made multiple
\nwills<\/strong>. Typically, this is done with the intent of having the most recent
\nwill trump previous versions, but it might not always be easy to determine
\nwhich is the most recent.<\/p>\n

Therefore, whenever you create a will, it is extremely important
\nto provide the dates you made revisions and to clarify that the most recent
\ncopy should be executed instead of any previous editions. It can also be
\nhelpful to destroy copies any wills<\/strong> that no longer reflect your wishes.
\nA probate court\u2019s main objective is to carry
\nout your wishes as outlined in your estate plan<\/a>,
\nso as long as you are clear about which will is the one that should be used,
\nthere should be few problems.<\/p>\n

The deceased did not have a valid will<\/h2>\n

Not having a valid will is an entirely different issue than not
\nhaving a will at all. There may be a scenario in which the deceased made a
\nwill, but it fails to meet state guidelines\u2014or the
\ndeceased did not have the mental capacity at the time necessary to create a
\nvalid will. If, for example, a person is pressured to make or change a will and
\nis deemed to have not been of sound mind, the probate court could revert to an
\nearlier document. If no earlier version exists, the court could invalidate the
\nwill, leaving the estate to be divided per the guidelines of intestate
\nsuccession.<\/p>\n

For wills<\/strong> to be valid, creators must understand the value
\nof their property, who their beneficiaries are and how their property should
\nget distributed. Additionally, creators need to complete a will signature
\nceremony with an attorney to ensure the legal formalities of Ohio law are in
\nplace for their wills<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The will does not reflect important changes in the testator\u2019s
\nlife<\/h2>\n

If a will is created early in one\u2019s life and
\nleft unaltered, it will likely fail to reflect new family dynamics. For
\nexample, a child who did not have contact with the deceased might receive a
\nsignificant portion of the estate, or former spouse could inherit significant
\nbenefits. In these situations, those who have close relationships with the
\ndeceased may choose to challenge a will in court.<\/p>\n

To avoid leaving your estate up to what happens in probate
\ncourt<\/strong>, it\u2019s wise to make sure your will is up to date and
\naccurately reflects your current wishes. To learn more about how you can make
\nthis happen, consult a knowledgeable Ohio <\/strong>estate law attorney<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Some people assume that the only reason someone would contest a will is out of self-interest. While there are certainly times in which people attempt to contest a will solely for financial gain, there are other circumstances in which the deceased might not have provided clear guidance within their estate planning documents, which could make contesting a will necessary.<\/p>\n

This is one of the most pressing reasons why it is so important for people who are drafting wills to be as thorough as possible. They should everything they can minimize the risk of a will being contested, as it could create a mess in court and lead to harmful arguments among friends and family members.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1174,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"post_series":[],"yoast_head":"\nCommon Reasons for Contesting a Will or Trust - Seif & McNamee<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"While there are certainly times in which people contest a will solely for financial gain, there are circumstances in which the deceased might not have provided clear guidance within their estate planning documents, making contesting a will necessary.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/law-oh.com\/common-reasons-for-contesting-a-will-or-trust\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Common Reasons for Contesting a Will or Trust - 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