Grounds to contest a will

Contesting a will in Pennsylvania is a very difficult process. The person contesting has the burden to show that the will is not valid.

The most common grounds for contesting a will are fraud, undue influence, forgery, lack of mental capacity, and failure to meet legal requirements.

Fraud: Was the decedent deceived into signing the will?

Undue influence: Was the decedent threatened or coerced into signing the will, when they otherwise wouldn’t have signed?

Forgery: Did someone other than the decedent sign the will?

Lack of Mental capacity: In order for a will to be valid, the decedent must understand what they are signing and be aware of what assets and property they have. Did the decedent lack an understanding of what he or she was signing at the time of signing?

Failure to meet the legal requirements of a will: Was the will not properly signed? Are there pages missing or are additional pages added?

If you wish to contest a will, it is important to speak with an experienced attorney.