It is important to have a will if you have young children, own property, or have substantial investments. If you don’t have a will, then your estate can be tied up in probate, and your assets may go to people you don’t want to have them. Although you can leave your property, money, and other assets to anyone you want, anyone considered an heir or beneficiary can contest the will.
Contesting a Will
Even though you can leave people out of your will, after your death, it can be contested. One way to prevent a will from being contested is by having it drawn up by wills lawyers in Ottawa, KS. They can make sure everything is correctly written in your will, to prevent it from being successfully contested.
There are several reasons a will can be legally contested in Kansas, including:
* Validity of the will
* Undue influence of others on the testator
* The testator’s mental capacity
Valid Wills
In Kansas, a will can be written for anyone of the age of majority, which is 18, or 16 if they’re married. To be valid, the will must also be signed by the testator and two witnesses. Then wills lawyers will file it so if something happens to their client; it will be on a record.
Contesting Wills
The only people who can contest a will are the testator’s beneficiaries or heirs, who are the people his or her estate would go to if a will didn’t exist. Heirs or beneficiaries include:
* Children
* Spouses
* Parents
* Siblings
If a will is contested citing undue influence on the testator or questioning their mental capacity at the time the will was written, the burden of proof is on those contesting the will. To ensure your will is ironclad, schedule an appointment to discuss your final wishes with wills lawyers.
