You never pictured yourself in situation where you would have to fight out an issue with your loved ones in a courtroom. However, after the death of a close family member, you found yourself concerned over the contents of his or her will. Once you voiced your concerns, you encountered contention from your loved ones that you did not expect.
Now, you feel a duty to make sure that the executor carries out your loved one’s true wishes or, at the very least, that you receive your rightful inheritance. If so, you may have to consider filing a dispute against the estate, which can lead to litigation. Of course, this type of step should not be taken lightly.
Prepare for stress
While taking legal steps to reach an end result can prove useful, it can also be immensely stressful. You may end up facing conflict with your family members, and you will likely have to face questioning from legal professionals. You could end up having others attempt to attack your character in hopes of keeping you from getting the outcome you desire. If you do not think you have the constitution to face such predicaments, you may want to rethink this course of action.
Prepare for a settlement
Commonly, estate disputes do not have to go through the entire litigation process. Depending on the strengths and weaknesses of your case, it may work more in your favor to come to a settlement. The decision to settle could depend on your willingness to keep fighting, the settlement offer from the other party and various other aspects of your particular case.
Prepare to work quickly
While you certainly should not make hasty choices during the legal process, you will likely need to make decisions quickly. Often, only a certain window of opportunity exists for contesting a will, and you may need to move quickly in order to get your case heard or to gain the right information to determine whether you truly want to move forward with a case.
If all of this information seems overwhelming, the process of contesting a will certainly can be. However, it may also be the right course of action for your situation. If you have a genuine interest in pursuing a case, it may work in your favor to consult with an attorney in order to make sure you have the time and information to open a case.
