Contested Wills in Johnson City, Tennessee

Find the right Contested Wills attorney in Johnson City, TN

Occasionally, family members of a recently-deceased person in Johnson City, Tennessee will attempt to claim that a will is invalid, normally because it leaves them out of it. This process is called a "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.

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 Johnson City, Tennessee?

There are many reasons that a court in Johnson City, Tennessee might invalidate a will.

One big reason to invalidate a will is the fact that the will was made under duress. "Duress" simply means forcing somebody to do something they don't want to, using some kind of threat. Normally, the threat involves some type of physical harm. The most obvious example would involve putting a gun to somebody's head and telling them to write a will containing the terms desired by the gunman. Such a will, assuming the underlying facts can be proven in court, will never be valid. Of course, the validity of a will rarely becomes an issue until the testator has died, which may be years after the will was drafted. This means that proving the circumstances under which the will was made can often be very difficult. However, there are certain facts, such as the devise being to an "unnatural" beneficiary (somebody the testator didn't know very well, for instance), and the beneficiary being in a position of power over the decedent, are enough to at least create a suspicion that something is wrong.

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 Johnson City, Tennessee will is successfully challenged and therefore invalidated, there has to be some system for orderly distribution of the decedent's property. Normally, 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 Johnson City, Tennessee Contested Will Attorney Help?

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

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

Life in Johnson City

Johnson City is located in Carter, Sullivan and Washington Counties! It is in the state of Tennessee, with a population of around 63,152 people.

Forbes Magazine ranked it thirty-five in its list of the "Best Small Place for Business and Careers." Black Enterprise Magazine ranked the city eighth in the list for the "Best Place for African Americans to Retire."

Since the city provides such a great quality of life and is business-friendly, there are many attorneys available to support these residents and businesses. Attorneys in Johnson City are well-experienced and capable to handle the legal needs of both businesses and residents.

Some popular attractions include the Hands On! Regional Museum, Montrose Court, Watauga River, Boone Lake, and Gray Fossil Site.

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