Contested Wills in Pomona, California

Find the right Contested Wills attorney in Pomona, CA

In Pomona, California, there is a procedure through which a person can challenge the validity of a will. This is recognized 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 a lot of money, or some particularly valuable property, is at stake, the person who was left out might want to go to court and allege that the will was invalid. When left out of a will, a family member might naturally assume that some kind of mistake has been made, whether this is really true or not.

Like any legal matter, however, this should not be taken lightly. Will contests can foster conflict and strife within families who are already mourning a loved one. This can cause severe and irreversible damage to family relationships.

When Can a Will be Contested in Pomona, California?

There are many reasons that a court in Pomona, California might invalidate a will.

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 Pomona, 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, normally 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. Usually, 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 Pomona, California Contested Will Attorney Help?

Contesting a will is never particularly easy or enjoyable. However, a brilliant Pomona, California 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 Pomona

Pomona, CA is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It has a population of approximately 150,000, making it the 4th largest city in Los Angeles County.

Pomona was first settled in the 1830s, when the territory was still part of Mexico. The first Anglo-Americans arrived just a few years prior to the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, which resulted in California becoming part of the U.S.

Modernly, Pomona is perhaps best known for being home to the Fairplex, which hosts the annual L.A. County Fair. Pomona, CA is also known for the Pomona Raceway, which is a major hub for competitive drag-racing.

Like many cities in the Inland Empire region, the economy of Pomona, CA is heavily based on services, education, and healthcare. In Pomona, one of the largest employers is the California Polytechnic University, Pomona. Some of this school's graduates go on to law school, some of whom become successful lawyers in Pomona, CA.

Because Pomona has a well-educated populace and a diverse economy, the local legal profession is quite sophisticated for a town its size. This means that a Pomona, CA attorney can probably help you with whatever legal issues you're likely to face.

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