Contested Wills in Bellflower, California

Find the right Contested Wills attorney in Bellflower, CA

In Bellflower, California, there is a procedure through which a person can challenge the validity of a will. This is identified as a "contested will" or "will contest."

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 often assume that the will must be a forgery, or a result of fraud or force.

If a considerable amount of money or property is being given away, the person left out of the will could reasonably conclude that the cost and time of a court challenge is worth 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 Bellflower, California?

Of course, a Bellflower, California court will not invalidate a will without a very good reason, but there are some cases which render a will clearly invalid.

For example, a will which was not made under the testator's own volition and free will is not valid. This means that the testator must be acting voluntarily throughout the entire process of making his will. Therefore, a will made under duress (force, or threat of force) will not be given effect. In order to show duress, you generally need to first prove that the person named in the will was in a position of trust and power over the decedent, and that they are an "unnatural beneficiary" (someone who you would not normally expect to receive a gift under a will, usually because they are not related to, or close friends with, the testator). These facts, taken alone, are never enough to definitively prove that duress occurred. They are, however, usually enough to suggest that something strange is going on, and warrant further investigation.

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 the contest is successful, a court in Bellflower, California might find the will or part of it invalid. Of course, that leaves the question of how to distribute the property in the absence of a valid will. All states have laws that address this situation, typically passing the property to the decedent's closest living kin. All states have laws governing the order in which property is passed on in this manner. Normally, it goes to the spouse first. If there is no living spouse, it goes to the children. If there are no children, it goes to the decedent's parents, and so on. Most laws on this subject are written in such a way that almost everyone will have at least one relative entitled to inherit, even if that person is very distantly related to the decedent. In the very rare case where no living relatives exist, or none can be found, the decedent's assets usually go to the state.

Can a Bellflower, California Contested Will Attorney Help?

Contesting a will is often challenging, and never fun. However, the whole process can be made more bearable if you have the help of a knowledgeable Bellflower, California attorney, and the process will probably be much more manageable.

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

Life in Bellflower

Bellflower, California is a city in Los Angeles County, California. Its population is currently about 76,600 people.The city got its name from the bellefleur (French for "pretty flower") apple, which grows in many orchards in the area.

Bellflower, California was originally settled as a community of dairy farmers of Dutch, Japanese, Portuguese descent. After WWII, booming property values ended up turning Bellflower, and many other nearby towns, into a residential area.

These days, the economy of Bellflower, California is driven in large part by the retail and healthcare industries. Kaiser Permanente is one of the largest employers in Bellflower, employing doctors, nurses, and pharmacists. In addition, a large healthcare institution like that is going to employ many administrative professionals, such as lawyers and accountants.

If you need legal advice in Bellflower, California, you will almost certainly be able to find a Bellflower, California attorney who can help you with whatever legal issue you might be facing.

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