Inheritance & Estate Disputes
When things go wrong: contesting a will, undue influence, removing an executor, executor misconduct, no-contest clauses, sibling fights, being disinherited, and what happens when a beneficiary dies first. Rights and deadlines vary by state.
All Inheritance & Estate Disputes guides
- Can You Disinherit a Spouse or Child?
Learn when a spouse can be disinherited (rarely), when a child can be, and how pretermitted heir rules protect accidentally omitted children.
- Executor Misconduct: What to Do If an Executor Won't Act or Is Stealing
If an executor is refusing to act, hiding assets, or stealing from the estate, you have legal options. Here's how to document misconduct and seek court relief.
- No-Contest Clauses: Can You Challenge a Will Without Losing Your Inheritance?
A no-contest clause can forfeit your inheritance if you challenge a will. Learn how these clauses work, when states enforce them, and how to weigh your risk.
- Sibling Disputes Over an Estate: How to Handle Them
Family conflicts over an estate can be painful and expensive. Here's how to navigate sibling disputes, when courts get involved, and how to protect yourself.
- How to Find Out If You're a Beneficiary of an Estate
Steps to find out if you're named in a will or as a beneficiary of a financial account, life insurance policy, or other asset after someone dies.
- How to Remove an Executor
Beneficiaries can ask a probate court to remove an executor who is breaching their duties. Here's the recognized grounds and how the process works.
- What Happens If a Beneficiary Dies Before You Do?
When a beneficiary predeceases the will-maker, what happens to their share depends on the will's language, anti-lapse statutes, and the type of asset.
- Undue Influence: When a Will or Gift Can Be Challenged
Learn what undue influence means legally, how courts identify it, and what steps to take if you believe a will or gift was obtained through manipulation.
- Disinherited? Your Legal Options
Being left out of a will is usually legal, but surviving spouses, overlooked children, and others may have limited legal recourse depending on state law.
- How to Contest a Will: Grounds, Standing, and Deadlines
Contesting a will requires a recognized legal ground, standing to bring the challenge, and meeting strict deadlines. Here is what courts actually look for.