Contested Wills in Medford, Oregon

Find the right Contested Wills attorney in Medford, OR

Occasionally, family members of a recently-deceased person in Medford, Oregon will attempt to claim that a will is invalid, typically because it leaves them out of it. This process is called a "Will contest."

Sometimes, when a person who expected to be included in a will is left out, their natural assumption is that there was some mistake, or that the will was made through improper means, such as duress or fraud, or that the will is an outright forgery.

If a considerable amount of money is involved, someone who was left out of a will, or not given what they were expecting, might believe that contesting the will is worth the time, money, and energy that doing so would require.

You should remember that a will contest frequently results in adversarial legal proceedings, which can be very contentious. Considering the likelihood that other members of your family might be on the other side, it's clear that this can really damage a person's relationship with his or her family.

When Can a Will be Contested in Medford, Oregon?

There are several reasons that a Medford, Oregon court might hold a will to be 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 thing to consider is the mental capacity of the person making the will. If, at the time the will was made, the testator was insane or severely intoxicated, the will is likely to be held invalid by a court, if the underlying facts can be proven.

If a Medford, Oregon will is successfully challenged and therefore invalidated, there has to be some system for orderly distribution of the decedent's property. Typically, if a will is held invalid, all of the property will be treated as if the decedent had never written or will. This means that it goes to the decedent's closest living relative, or, if there are not relatives who can be located, the state.

Can a Medford, Oregon Contested Will Attorney Help?

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

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

Life in Medford

Medford is located in Jackson County, Oregon. It has a population of around 75,000 people. The city was named by its civil engineer, David Loring, after his own home town.

Some popular attractions include Alba Park, Bear Creek Corporation, Harry David, Claire Hanley Arboretum, Vogel Plaza, Roxy Ann Peak and Prescott Park.

Top employers include Rogue Valley Medical Center, Providence Medford Medical Center, Harry and David Operations Corp, Benchmark Maps, Falcon Northwest, Pacific International Enterprises, and Lithia Motors. Medford is also home to many attorneys, who practice in various areas of law. Thus, the legal force in Medford is capable to handle any and every legal need.

All in all, Medford is a wonderful place to live and visit!

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