Estate Litigation in Pennsylvania | What You Should Know

As you know, creating a comprehensive estate plan is one of the most important things anyone can do in their lifetime. By doing so, you help ensure that your assets will be distributed as you would have intended upon your passing. A comprehensive estate plan has many parts, and as such, there are many documents that go into creating such an estate plan. Some of those documents include wills, trusts, guardianships, powers of attorney, and more. All of these documents must be drafted properly and in their entirety to be considered valid and legally enforceable, which is why it is strongly recommended that you retain the services of an experienced Pennsylvania estate planning attorney to help you draft your estate plan.

That being said, there are times where beneficiaries of an estate do not believe that certain estate planning documents are valid, in which case they may wish to litigate the document in question. When these documents are incorrect, inauthentic, or otherwise, it will cause a decedent’s assets to be distributed not according to his or her wishes, which entirely defeats the purpose of creating an estate plan in the first place. If you believe this has happened with your loved one’s estate plan, you must continue reading to learn more about estate litigation.

What are some valid reasons to contest a will?

Wills are among the most frequently-contested estate planning documents, and for good reason–they are oftentimes the cornerstone of an estate plan. Some of the most common reasons for contesting a will are as follows:

• The will contains language that is vague, unclear or lacks specific detail as to what will happen with certain assets.
• A beneficiary believes that the will has been tampered with by fraud.
• A beneficiary believes that the will was signed under duress or manipulation.
• A beneficiary believes that the will was influenced by bribery.
• A beneficiary believes that the decedent was incapacitated at the time of drafting the will.

The bottom line is that there are several reasons why a will, or any other estate planning document may be contested, which is why if you are someone who believes this may be the case with your loved one, you must retain the services of an experienced attorney as swiftly as possible.

CONTACT OUR EXPERIENCED PENNSYLVANIA FIRM

Whether you are dealing with matters involving estate planning, estate administration, or elder law, you need a legal team that you can feel confident will represent your best interests, every step of the way. We are that legal team. Contact Heritage Elder Law & Estate Planning today so we can get started.