While it serves multiple purposes, estate planning is one of the most important things a person can do to ensure that his or her wishes are met when they have passed away. Those in Georgia who have chosen to create wills with an experienced attorney can help ensure that their wishes are known and less susceptible to a successful challenge. A judge has recently tossed a will that one woman claims a deceased man who lived in another state created before his death.
The man passed away in Jan. 2015 when he was 34 years old. According to reports, he suffered fatal injuries in a car accident. Following his death, a woman claimed that she discovered his will, locked in a gun safe. That will purportedly left everything — including a $2 million civil settlement — to the woman’s daughter, who she claimed was engaged to the man at the time of his death. It excluded the man’s only son.
The son challenged the will in court. A judge recently decided that the will was created with the use of online software after the man died. Four people now face a federal criminal accusation of wire charge as a result of the ruling. All have pleaded not guilty.
Most people in Georgia want to help ensure that their loved ones are cared for in the event of their death. One of the best ways to do this is through the creation of wills and other estate planning documents. While going through the process cannot completely eliminate the possibility that the documents will be challenged, it can reduce the chances that a challenge is successful. An experienced estate planning professional can create and review such documents, helping ensure that no details are overlooked.
Source: arkansasbusiness.com, “Judge Scraps Fake Will of Deepwater Horizon Survivor“, April 17, 2017
