Contested Wills in Brea, California

Find the right Contested Wills attorney in Brea, CA

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

There are several 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 the decedent was fairly well-off, their will might involve a great deal of money or property. This is one of the basic reasons, besides a general sense of exclusion, that a family member might expend the great deal of time and money necessary to contest a will.

However, this is a matter that should not be approached lightly - will contests can often foster strife and infighting within families who are already mourning the loss of a loved one. This can permanently damage or alter family relationships.

When Can a Will be Contested in Brea, California?

Of course, a Brea, California court will not invalidate a will without a very good reason, but there are some situations 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.

So, you've succeeded in contesting the validity of a Brea, California will. What happens to the property that was going to be distributed according to its terms? Generally, 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." Usually, this simply means that the assets will be passed on to their owner's closest living relative, typically 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. Therefore, the old will can be given effect.

Can a Brea, California 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 Brea, California 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 Brea

Brea, California is a city in Orange County, California. Its population is slightly under 40,000 people. Brea is known for its warm climate, high standard of living, and low crime rates. In 2006, it was named by Sunset Magazine as one of the best suburbs to live in the Western United States.

Brea, California can trace its origins back to the late 1800s, when oil was discovered across much of Southern California. Brea became a boomtown as the oil industry moved in.

These days, the economy of Brea, California is largely dominated by banking, finance, retail, and other service-based industries. Many white-collar professionals, such as attorneys, live and work in Brea, California. Brea, California is the birthplace of Cruz Reynoso, a prominent civil rights lawyer, and the first Hispanic justice on the California Supreme Court.

There are many other lawyers in Brea, California who are not as famous as Mr. Reynoso, but who tirelessly advocate for their clients every day. If you need legal help, you could do a lot worse than finding a Brea, California lawyer.

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