Contested Wills in Brick, New Jersey

Find the right Contested Wills attorney in Brick, NJ

It is feasible, in Brick, New Jersey, to go to court and claim that a will is invalid, in some cases. This is called a Will Contest.

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

If a large amount of money or property is being given away, the person left out of the will could rationally 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 costlye. It also has the possibility to damage family relationships and foster strife among individuals who are already mourning the loss of a loved one.

When Can a Will be Contested in Brick, New Jersey?

Of course, a Brick, New Jersey court will not invalidate a will without a very good reason, but there are some situations which render a will clearly invalid.

For instance, a will obtained through duress (a threat of harm, usually physical) is invalid. Of course, duress is very difficult to prove after the fact, and the issue may not even come up until many years after it allegedly occurred, making proof even more difficult. Nonetheless, if the named beneficiary was in some type of position of power or trust with respect to the decedent, and is not someone who one would normally expect to get a large gift in a will (they're unrelated to the testator, for example), those facts alone might be enough to raise the suspicion of impropriety. Of course, those facts by themselves are not enough to prove duress.

Another reason why a will might be invalid is the maker of the will being mentally incompetent at the time the will was made. In order to make a legitimate will, the individual making it must have enough of his or her mental faculties to understand what they're doing, and the consequences of it.

If the contest is successful, a court in Brick, New Jersey 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, usually 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. Typically, 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 Brick, New Jersey Contested Will Attorney Help?

Contesting a will is often difficult, and never fun. However, the entire process can be made more bearable if you have the help of a qualified Brick, New Jersey attorney, and the process will probably be much more manageable.

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

Life in Brick

Brick, also known as "Brick Township," is located in Ocean County, New Jersey. Per the 2010 census, 75,072 people call Brick home. Brick is surrounded by the Barnegat Peninsula, Lakewood Township and Toms River Township. In 2006 Brick was named "America's Safest City" in a survey of over 371 cities nationwide. Another reason why Brick is known is due to the autism epidemic. A study was conducted in Brick in which forty out of six thousand children were found to be autistic.

Brick is home to attorneys who practice in various areas of law. Their vast practice and sharp skills allow these attorneys to cater to the legal needs of residents and local businesses.

Some famous people who have called Brick home include Harry Bernstein, Jim Dowd, Kirsten Dunst, Garrett Graham, Jack Martin, Travis Spader, and Warren Wolf.

Brick, overall, offers its residents a small-town charm and a safe place to call home.

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