Contesting a will often results when a person is upset over an inheritance. But there is a high emotional and financial cost attached and that step should not be taken lightly.
The costs and difficulties faced when challenging a will were discussed recently in the Rochester Business Journal.
In an article entitled "Choosing to contest a will costs financial, emotional tolls" it is explained that contesting a will almost always create rifts in families. These rifts are similar to the emotional impact of getting a divorce. Hurt feelings b
etween relatives take a long time to heal and many times they never do.
The article also explains why challenging a will is so financially costly.
To be successful with a challenge it must be proven that the testator was not mentally competent to create the will.
This is very difficult for two reasons. First, it does not take much to be competent enough to make a will. The person does not need to be generally competent to do everything else in life. When it comes to testamentary capacity he or she just needs to be lucid enough at the time to understand and approve of the will. Secondly, in almost all circumstances the person who wishes to contest a will was not present when the will was signed. Consequently, this makes it impossible for the person to have direct knowledge regarding whether the testator was lucid and mentally incompetent.
This does not mean that wills should never be challenged. It just means that anyone thinking about contesting a will should proceed with caution and seek the services of an experienced estate attorney.
Consult with an estate planning attorney before contesting a will, giving the attorney time to review the case and assess the likelihood of success.
Reference: Rochester Business Journal (Jan. 8, 2016) "Choosing to contest a will costs financial, emotional tolls."
