Contested Wills in La Crosse, Wisconsin

Find the right Contested Wills attorney in La Crosse, WI

The laws of La Crosse, Wisconsin permit certain people to challenge, or "contest" the validity of a will.

A will is typically contested when a family member who expected to inherit a large amount of money or property are disappointed with the contents of the will, especially if the testator's motives are not clear. They will typically assume that the will must be a forgery, or a result of fraud or force.

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.

As with the initiation of any other legal proceeding, contesting a will is a big decision. It can be time-consuming and expensivee. It also has the possibility to damage family relationships and foster strife among people who are already mourning the loss of a loved one.

When Can a Will be Contested in La Crosse, Wisconsin?

Of course, a La Crosse, Wisconsin court will not invalidate a will without a very good reason, but there are some cases 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 substantial initial suspicion of something improper happening. Of course, those facts alone are not nearly enough to prove duress.

Another fact that might invalidate a will is the mental incompetence of the testator. Wills must be a product of a person's volition. A will cannot be really voluntary unless the testator knows what they're doing. Accordingly, if the testator is mentally incompetent at the time he or she makes the will, the will cannot take effect. You should be aware, however, that this test applies at the time the will is made. So, if the testator is not mentally competent at the time of death, but was when the will was made, the will is valid.

If you successfully contest the will in La Crosse, Wisconsin, 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 typically happen during a person's life. Typically, 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 La Crosse, Wisconsin Contested Will Attorney Help?

Because a will contest can sometimes involve difficult legal and factual questions, as well as some very raw emotions, a skilled La Crosse, Wisconsin attorney can be invaluable in helping this process go as smoothly as possible.

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

Life in La Crosse

La Crosse is located in La Crosse County, Wisconsin. The city is home to around 52,500 people and lies alongside the beautiful Mississippi River! It is known as a college town because it is home to University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Viterbo University and Western Technical College.

Top employers include the university system, Gunderson Lutheran Medical Center, Franciscan Skemp Medical Center, Trane Corporation, Kwik Trip, CenturyLink, and Wal-Mart. There are also small law offices with excellent, actively-practicing attorneys to support the legal needs of local businesses and residents.

Famous residents include David Ackert, John Ake, George Dahlgren, Alexa Demara, Charles Dierkop, Minnie Dupree, Paul Fitzke, Don Iverson, Scott Servais, Jarrod Washburn, and George Williams.

Overall, La Cross is a gorgeous city with a wonderful quality of life. Visitors leave with a smile and residents are proud to call it home.

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