Is your will contestable?

By Patricia Nugent

After news broke last month that Priscilla Presley was contesting her daughter Lisa Marie Presley’s will over seemingly minor technicalities such as a misspelled name and proper notarization, it got me thinking…how little does it take to leave the door open for someone to contest a will you put in place?

I reached out to local attorney Margaret T. Karl for some insight. She has made it her mission to help folks navigate the often-complex process of estate planning.

“Hiring a lawyer to draft your will with you, instead of trying to do one yourself with an online legal service, is one of those penny-wise/pound-foolish situations,” says Margie. “You’ll save yourself money and time in the long run if you put together a will that is not contestable. For instance, something I often see is people not meeting authentication requirements. They might have their sister act as a witness, but she’s someone who would be a beneficiary in the will, which is a no-no.”

She says with blended families, ex-spouses and stepchildren, you need to be very clear in your terms of who receives what from your estate.

“For instance, if you don’t want someone to get something, you need to clearly spell that out,” she adds.

Margaret T. Karl, Attorney at Law is located at 25800 North Depot Street, Suite 102, in Olmsted Falls. Call 440-782-5051 or visit OlmstedOhioLaw.com.

Senior Talks
Find out all the dos and don’ts of estate planning and downsizing for seniors from attorney Margaret T. Karl at these informational seminars. They take place Thursday, March 9, 6:30-8:00 p.m., at Southwest Commons, 18090 Pearl Road in Strongsville; Tuesday, March 21, 10:00-11:00 a.m., at Grafton-Midview Library, 983 Main Street in Grafton; Wednesday, March 22, 2:30-3:30 p.m., at Brookdale Camelot, 49-A Leisure Lane in Medina; and Thursday, March 23, 6:30-8:00 p.m., at Generations Senior Living, 18960 Falling Water Road in Strongsville.