Contested Wills in Rapid City, South Dakota

Find the right Contested Wills attorney in Rapid City, SD

Occasionally, family members of a recently-deceased person in Rapid City, South Dakota will attempt to claim that a will is invalid, usually because it leaves them out of it. This process is called a "Will contest."

There are many reasons why a person might want to contest a will made by a close family member. Sometimes, people will decide to leave money or property to charity, or to other entities who are not closely related. If their family members weren't expecting this, they might assume that something went wrong with the drafting of the will.

If there is a large 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.

You should remember that a will contest often results in adversarial legal proceedings, which can be very contentious. Considering the likelihood that other members of your family might be on the other side, it's clear that this can really damage a person's relationship with his or her family.

When Can a Will be Contested in Rapid City, South Dakota?

Of course, a Rapid City, South Dakota court will not invalidate a will without a very good reason, but there are some situations which render a will clearly invalid.

For example, if the will was obtained through duress (threat of some kind of harm), then it is invalid. Duress, however, is difficult to prove. If a named beneficiary was in some position of power or trust with the decedent, and is not someone who one would ordinarily expect to get a large gift in a will, that might raise significant initial suspicion of something improper happening. Of course, those facts alone are not nearly enough to prove duress.

Because a testator must know what they are doing in order to write a valid will, the testator must be of sound mind at the time the will is made. Basically, if a person is unaware of what they're doing, and the consequences of their actions, they can't make a valid will. This can be due to mental illness, or intoxication. Of course, if it's a result of intoxication, the testator can simply sober up and then make a perfectly valid will.

If you successfully contest the will in Rapid City, South Dakota, the court will likely distribute the property as if the decedent had died without a will. This usually involves giving it to the closest living relative. While the exact intestacy schemes (the order in which property is distributed to relatives) vary from state to state, they are usually pretty similar. If possible, the property will go to the decedent's spouse, and if the decedent has any minor children with that spouse, it is with the understanding that the money will be used primarily for their care. If the decedent did not have children or a spouse (or outlived them), the property typically goes to the decedent's parents. If neither of them are alive, it goes to grand children, grandparents, or siblings. After that, it typically goes to cousins, nieces/nephews, step-children, former spouses, etc. Intestacy laws provide a line of succession long enough that just about anyone will leave at least one person behind who is entitled to inherit from them, even if they're an extremely distant relation. Sometimes, however, people make multiple wills, to account for the many personal and financial changes that usually happen during a person's life. Usually, the most recent will purports to revoke all past wills, to avoid any conflict between them. In such cases, if a will is entirely invalidated, a court can sometimes revive the second most recent will.

Can a Rapid City, South Dakota Contested Will Attorney Help?

Because this can involve complicated legal issues, and be very emotionally draining, this is not something you want to go at alone. A good lawyer in Rapid City, South Dakota can be very helpful in making sure that this process goes as smoothly as possible.

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

Life in Rapid City

Rapid City is located in South Dakota. In fact, it is the second largest city in the state. Just as it has an exciting name, the city also has many attractions for visitors to see! These attractions include Bear Country, the Journey Museum, the Dahl Arts Center, Mt. Rushmore Black Hills Gold Factory Tours, Reptile Gardens, Watiki Indoor Waterpark, Mammoth Site and the Devils Tower National Monument.

Rapid City is amongst the Black Hills. Interestingly, it is home to the longest caves in the world. It also has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the U.S.!

With so much going on in one place, it is natural that the legal force would also have a presence. To support local businesses and residents, Rapid City is home to many experienced attorneys. These attorneys are able to advise clients in all areas of laws and are easily able to handle legal matters.

Overall, Rapid City is a must-see place to visit.

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