When working through your loved one’s estate, you found something concerning to you. At the last minute, it appears a beneficiary change was made. This has you questioning the validity of the estate plan as a whole. In New Jersey, to deal with this type of situation, estate litigation may be necessary.
It is not entirely uncommon for last-minute beneficiary changes to be made when it comes to estate planning. People have every right to change their minds and adjust their plans as they see fit. There are times when such modifications do raise some red flags, though.
If undue influence, fraud, testator mental capacity issues or blended family issues are thought to be behind the beneficiary change, it is completely understandable that you would want to make sure everything is on the up and up before your loved one’s estate is passed on. Most times, plan adjustments are legitimate and should be honored. However, there are times when they are not and certainly should be investigated.
Proving a last-minute beneficiary change is the result of ill-intent or a mistake is not necessarily an easy thing to do. You need to have evidence that the change is not what your loved one really wanted. If you believe a last-minute beneficiary change deserves questioning, how do you go about addressing the situation? Legal counsel can help you investigate and, if estate litigation in a New Jersey probate court is deemed appropriate, assist you through the process. To learn more about estate litigation and how an attorney can help you through it, please take a moment and visit our firm’s website.
