Contested Wills in Greenwood, South Carolina

Find the right Contested Wills attorney in Greenwood, SC

Occasionally, family members of a recently-deceased person in Greenwood, South Carolina will attempt to claim that a will is invalid, usually because it leaves them out of it. This process 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, 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 large 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 Greenwood, South Carolina?

Of course, a Greenwood, South Carolina court will not invalidate a will without a very good reason, but there are some situations which render a will clearly 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 significant initial suspicion of something improper happening. Of course, those facts alone are not nearly enough to prove duress.

Another fact that might invalidate a will is the mental incompetence of the testator. Wills must be a product of a person's volition. A will cannot be truly voluntary unless the testator knows what they're doing. Accordingly, if the testator is mentally incompetent at the time he or she makes the will, the will cannot take effect. You should be aware, however, that this test applies at the time the will is made. So, if the testator is not mentally competent at the time of death, but was when the will was made, the will is valid.

So, you've succeeded in contesting the validity of a Greenwood, South Carolina 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 Greenwood, South Carolina Contested Will Attorney Help?

Contesting a will can be a convoluted, emotional, expensive, and time-consuming process. There is really no way around this. However, a good Greenwood, South Carolina wills and estates attorney can minimize these problems, and make the process as painless as possible.

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

Life in Greenwood

Greenwood is a city in Greenwood County, South Carolina. It is the county seat of Greenwood County, and has a population of about 23,000 people. Greenwood, South Carolina is home to the annual Festival of Flowers, which happens in early June. The festival is sponsored by a local company, Park Seed Corporation, which is one of the largest gardening concerns in the world. The festival shows of the abundant flowers of the area, as well as flower arrangements. Furthermore, it features jazz concerts, airplane flights for children, food from around the globe, a dog show, and a classic car show.

In July, Greenwood hosts the Festival of Discovery, which focuses on the folklore, culture, and traditions of the region, and features cookoffs, music, and other events.

Greenwood is home to several large corporations, which are major employers for the area, including Fujifilm, Milliken Textiles, andmajor offices of PepsiCo.

Given the diversity of the business community in Greenwood, South Carolina, it should be apparent that there are plenty of skilled and sophisticated Greenwood, South Carolina attorneys who can handle any legal problem that you might be facing.

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