Contested Wills in New Brunswick, New Jersey

Find the right Contested Wills attorney in New Brunswick, NJ

It is possible, in New Brunswick, New Jersey, to go to court and claim that a will is invalid, in some cases. This is called a Will Contest.

Sometimes, testators leave out of their wills people who might naturally expect to inherit a substantial portion of the testator's estate (spouses and children, for example). This might lead them to assume, truthfully or not, that the will was some kind of mistake.

If there is a considerable amount of money or property at stake, a family member who was left out of the will might find it to be worth the time or money to contest it.

Bringing legal action against anyone, let alone a family member, is not a decision that you should rush into. Contesting a will, especially if another family member stands to lose out if you are successful in the contest, can permanently alter or even destroy family relationships. Obviously, this is something to consider.

When Can a Will be Contested in New Brunswick, New Jersey?

A court in New Brunswick, New Jersey will not entertain a will contest unless there is a very good reason to do so. However, there are some allegations which, if proven, clearly invalidate a will.

For example, a will obtained through duress (a threat of harm, typically physical) is invalid. Of course, duress is very difficult to prove after the fact, and the issue may not even come up until many years after it allegedly occurred, making proof even more difficult. However, if the named beneficiary was in some type of position of power or trust with respect to the decedent, and is not someone who one would normally expect to get a large gift in a will (they're unrelated to the testator, for example), those facts alone might be enough to raise the suspicion of impropriety. Of course, those facts by themselves are not enough to prove duress.

Another reason why a will might be invalid is the maker of the will being mentally incompetent at the time the will was made. In order to make a valid will, the person making it must have enough of his or her mental faculties to understand what they're doing, and the consequences of it.

So, you've succeeded in contesting the validity of a New Brunswick, New Jersey will. What happens to the property that was going to be distributed according to its terms? Usually, when a will is declared void, the decedent's assets will be treated as if he or she had died without a will. This is known as "intestacy." Typically, this simply means that the assets will be passed on to their owner's closest living relative, normally a spouse, children, siblings, or parents. If absolutely no relatives can be found, the property is passed to the state. If there is a previous will, which was revoked by the invalid will, a court might revive the old will. If the new will was found to be completely invalid (rather than just parts of it), it follows, then, that the revocation of the old will is invalid as well. Consequently, the old will can be given effect.

Can a New Brunswick, New Jersey Contested Will Attorney Help?

Contesting a will is never particularly easy or enjoyable. However, a knowledgeable New Brunswick, New Jersey attorney can help take some of the burden off of you, and handle some of the most difficult aspects of this process.

Talk to a Wills, Trusts & Estates Law Attorney now!

Life in New Brunswick

New Brunswick is located in Middlesex County, New Jersey. It is popular because it is home to Rutgers University. The city is located approximately 27 miles southwest of Manhattan. It is near the Raritan River.

New Brunswick's nickname is "the Healthcare City" because there are many hospitals. These hospitals include Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, Saint Peter's University Hospital, and University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

Large employers include Johnson Johnson and Bristol-Myers Squibb. The legal industry is also present in New Brunswick because there are many law offices, and small to mid-size law firms in the city. The legal force here is trained to handle legal needs in all areas of law.

Popular attractions include the Albany Street Bridge, Highland Park, Old Queens, Buccleuch Mansion, St. Peter, the Delaware and Raritan Canal, Rutgers Gardens, and the Henry Guest House.

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