Wills are created for those who’d like their wishes granted after their death. This document allows the deceased the ability to leave assets to a family member, to have their property shared by others, or decide on where they’d like to be buried. However, family members often have confrontations and disagreements regarding the details and validity of the will. The following are a few well-known grounds one could use in order to challenge a will they deem invalid.
Were the deceased pressured into creating a will? In some cases the proponent of the will, who’ll benefit most from it, may have swayed the deceased into drawing up the document. Although it’s often suspected this can be difficult to prove. Unless you were there, and have rock solid evidence that proves the deceased was pressured into creating a will by someone, you stand a slim chance of successfully contesting the will. However, if you can interject that the proponent of the will was in an influential position, you just might have a case. Speak with a lawyer who handles Will Contests in Lake County, IL.
In order for a will to be valid and official it needs to be signed by the deceased before their passing. The signature shows that the deceased approved of the will and its contents. However, there’s always the possibility that forgery was committed. Check the signature, as well as the contents of the will, very carefully. If you have other handwritten pieces from the deceased, compare that writing with the writing in the will. If you can prove that there’s some inconsistency with the writing, you might be able to successfully contest the will.
What was the condition of the deceased upon creating the will? Sometimes people become very ill and decide to draw up a will before their pass away. Although this seems harmless, it’s possible that they aren’t in the right state of mind when doing so. This could apply to those who suffered from Alzheimer’s, or some other form of dementia, that prevents them from making coherent decisions. Talk to a Charles T. Newland and Associates lawyer that handles Will Contests in Lake County, IL. You might have a cases if you can prove the deceased weren’t well enough to create the will in the first place.
