Most testators are often concerned about will disputes. A will dispute will significantly affect the distribution of your assets once you die. Read this excerpt to learn more about will disputes and how you can avoid them. 

What Causes Will Disputes? 

Your will could be disputed if it does meet the required legal standard. For instance, you must be mentally sound when writing the will. Besides, the will should be signed by two witnesses. Further, it should not have any contradictions. 

Your beneficiaries and close relatives could also contest the will. For instance, a beneficiary could claim that the will does not adequately provide for his or her needs. It could be your child or a close relative. The court could nullify your will and redistribute your assets if his or her claims are genuine. Beneficiaries could also dispute the will if they believe you were coerced when writing the will. 

How To Avoid Will Disputes

Below are a few ways to avoid will disputes. 

Engage a Wills and Estates Lawyer

A wills and estates lawyer will ensure that your will meets the required legal standards. For instance, he or she will check the wording of your will to ensure that you do not make any contradictions. Changing personal and financial circumstances could force you to amend your will. For instance, you would want to remove a deceased wife or child from your will. If you have a financial windfall, you will want to increase the number of beneficiaries in your will. In this case, the lawyer will attach a codicil to your will. If you opt to write a new will, remember to dispose of the old will. 

Excluded Beneficiaries

You could opt to exclude close friends and family from your will. These people might contest your will once you die. In this case, you should include a letter explaining why you did not include the beneficiary in the will. Your letter should have valid reasons. 

Creating Trusts

The trustee in your trust should be somebody that you trust. Remember, they should act in the best interests of the beneficiaries. Disputes occur when the trustee decides to misuse the assets or funds in the trust. Besides, there are cases when the trustee could fail to disperse funds. Avoid these problems by engaging an appointor. The appointor is an individual with the power to fire the trustee and appoint a new one. 

Will disputes occur when your will does not meet the set legal requirements. Besides, beneficiaries could contest the document if they need additional maintenance or if they believe you were under undue influence when writing the will.

To learn more about will disputes, contact a lawyer.

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