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Queens Will Contest

Lawyer to Represent You in a Queens Will Contest

Queens is a New York City borough located on Long Island. With the largest economy of all the boroughs, it has a population of 2,405,464. Leading causes of deaths in Queens in 2017 include heart disease, cancer, accidents, chronic lower respiratory diseases, diabetes, stroke, flu, hypertension, septicemia, and Alzheimer's. Regardless of their age or health, Queens residents over age 18 should consider making a will. Unfortunately, after a death, family members and loved ones may be unhappy with the terms of the will that was made. Under certain circumstances, they may be able to bring a will contest to challenge the will's terms. If you need legal representation after a loved one's death because you dispute his will or need to defend against a challenge to a will, you should call experienced Queens will contest lawyer Jules M. Haas. He represents those who hope to bring will contests, as well as nominated executors and proponents of wills who want wills probated and upheld.

Queens Will Contest

Will contests are estate litigation proceedings in which a decedent's last will is contested in court. Not everyone can contest a decedent's will. Only those with standing and valid legal grounds to object can bring a will contest to challenge the validity and probate of the will. You may have standing if you had a pecuniary interest, or monetary interest, in a decedent's will.

You may be able to contest a will, for example, if you are a distributee or beneficiary, who would receive less under the will being offered into probate than you would if there were no will or than you would have under a prior last will. If you are a distributee or a beneficiary who doesn't have a pecuniary interest, you would only be able to object to the named executor being appointed, if he or she was named as an executor through undue influence or fraud or was unfit to serve as a fiduciary.

Often will contests are brought because a potential heir did not receive the bequest he or she was expecting.

Legal Grounds to Contest a Will in Queens

Someone who has standing to contest a will can object to the will in Surrogate's Court to try to stop it from being probated on a range of legal grounds. These grounds include lack of testamentary capacity, improper execution, revocation, incapacitation, undue influence, and fraud.

An attorney may believe there are grounds to contest a will, for example, if the testator suffered from Alzheimer's and therefore lacked testamentary capacity to execute his last will and testament. A testator needs to be at least age 18 and needs to have the mental capacity at the time the will is executed to understand what it means to make it. Testamentary capacity is determined by looking at (1) whether the testator understood what it meant and what would follow from executing the will, (2) whether the testator knew what his property was and the extent of it, and (3) whether the testator understood who would be considered the natural objects of his or her bounty and the nature of those relationships.

Likewise, if undue influence was exerted upon the testator to make a will with specific provisions to benefit the influencer, the will could be invalidated. Influence is considered undue if it constituted a moral coercion that restricted independent action and negated the testator's free agency or constrained what he could do of his own free will and desire. Undue influence is typically difficult to prove since it is often based upon circumstantial evidence. Professional guidance in these cases is essential.

Consult a Seasoned Will Contest Lawyer

Whether you need to bring a will contest or you need to protect your interests with regard to a will being probated, you should call seasoned Queens will contest attorney Jules Haas. Mr. Haas has represented clients for more than four decades and can assess your legal grounds to pursue or fend off a will contest. Call him at (212) 355-2575 or contact us through our online form. We offer reasonable and flexible fee arrangements.

Client Reviews
★★★★★
I am very grateful to Mr. Jules Martin Haas attorney of law in New York. I am from Buenos Aires Argentina. He managed with expertise a very difficult situation. of a complicate heritage from my aunt Anna Grodzka that lived and died a very long time ago in New York. I recommend him not only for his extraordinary knowledge but also for his kindness. Irma CW Peusner
★★★★★
I found Mr. Haas after being misguided by a former attorney. Mr. Jules Haas took our case which involved an estate/trust dispute. What initially seemed like an impossible and overwhelming legal fight was now in the hands of someone who had the integrity and legal expertise to win our case. Mr Haas' attention to detail and his expert knowledge base, skillfully and successfully guided us through an intricate legal process. I am very thankful and grateful to Mr. Jules Haas for representing our interest and ultimately winning. Bringing about a peace of mind we needed. Thank You Devida Nedd
★★★★★
I was in need of a guardianship attorney and I hired the services of Jules M. Haas' Law firm. The service of counselor Haas and his staff, was very profesional and the case was handled in a timely matter. I would strongly recommend his services Angel Guevara
★★★★★
I strongly recommend Jules Haas. I have worked with him for two years and he has provided so much support and followed through with everything he promised he would do. His support staff is just as helpful! We had an interesting case and he helped to solve each part of it legally and was very thorough. Thank you for everything you have done to finalize our families estate Robyn Stafford
★★★★★
Jules Haas helped me with managing the process in probate court for my father's estate through to its completion upon the sale of my father's house. He was knowledgeable, efficient, and effective in submitting documentation to the probate court, explaining procedures to me, and advising me as to the progress of my case. His support staff was also very helpful. He made what for me created so much anxiety into something manageable where I could see progress every step of the way. His fees were very reasonable. I am super grateful to him for all the help he has provided and strongly recommend his services. Diana Janer
★★★★★
I just completed an estate transaction where Jules Haas represented my client in an estate and he did a great job! He was very quick at responding to all matters throughout the sale process, he was detailed, he was knowledgeable and he was a pleasure to work with. I just recommended him to some new clients who are going through an estate matter and will continue to recommend him. Rodolfo Lucchese