One of the primary purposes of creating an estate plan is to prevent disputes amongst your heirs and to indicate your wishes. However, while this is supposed to be the case, you cannot predict whether a family member or an interested party will contest your will.
Remember that a will contest can be expensive, time-consuming and contentious for your loved ones. Fortunately, you can prevent your will from being contested. Below are a few things you can do to prevent your will from being contested and to ensure your wishes are fulfilled.
1. Include a no-contest clause in your will
You can include a no-contest clause in your will to prevent it from being contested. This clause states that anyone who challenges the beneficiaries provided for in the will or challenges the will gets nothing from your estate if they are unsuccessful in court.
2. Record the will signing process and get a doctor’s evaluation
In many cases, a person contesting a will may claim that the writer was not of sound mind or was forced into signing it. Fortunately, you can prevent such claims by recording the signing process. This will help prove that the will was written purposefully and no one was neglected. You can also prove that you were of sound mind by visiting a doctor to complete a competency assessment report.
3. Keep all the beneficiaries away from the will preparation process
To prevent your will from being contested, avoid any suggestion of undue influence when drafting and signing your will. This means you should not involve any beneficiaries during the structuring and signing of the will.
Planning for the end of life can make most people uncomfortable. However, you may want to create a will to ensure your loved ones inherit your assets and property per your wishes and prevent wrangles later on.