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Showing posts from July, 2011

Will Contest Ruling from Iowa Court of Appeals

The Iowa Court of Appeals had a recent ruling on a will contest based on a claim of undue influence and lack of "brotherly love". Mom left her substantial estate to one of her two sons, and disinherited the other son completely. The disinherited son challenged the will based on undue influence and lost, then filed an appeal. The Court of Appeals goes through a thorough analysis of the undue influence elements in a challenge to a will. Those elements being: (1) susceptibility to undue influence; (2) opportunity; (3) disposition to unduly influence; (4) result which is the effect of undue influence. Of interesting note is the fact that apparently there was a recording of her estate plan changes. While it is not clear whether these were video or audio taped, the court indicated the recording corroborated the attorneys' statements about her susceptibility. The use of a recording, in my opinion, could cut both ways in supporting a will. For example, if a recording is ma