How do I know if I am eligible to contest a will?

If you are a child or partner of a deceased person, or someone who was otherwise close to a deceased person, you have been left out of their will or you have not been left much under the will, and you can show that you have a need for financial assistance you are in a reasonable starting position to consider contesting the will.

From this point you then need to consider more specifics, such as:

1. which state to contest the will in;
2. whether you are within the relevant limitation period,
3. how much money is in the estate; and
4. who the competing beneficiaries are.

Go to our Contesting a Will page to see state-specific detail.