Tag Archives: ESTATE CLOSING

Why do I need to sign off on mom’s estate if the will is false?

Q: have been estranged from my mother (valid reasons) since 2009. My father passed in 2000 and my mother passed a few weeks ago. I am one of 4 siblings and my younger sister (who dislikes me) has POA. I did pay my last respects to her and recently found out the will was revised 12/23/18 while my mother was in the hospital and under medication. I was removed and replaced with my nephew, her grandson. I am being asked to approve this and am waiting for paperwork to review. My mother has treated me badly for years for no apparent reason. What is my recourse? It’s not about the money, it’s the principal and I had a great relationship with my father until he passed, therefore am not going to approve this revision. (Plum Borough, PA)

A: I assume they want you to sign off on the estate by a Family Agreement or other type of consent document, which will close the estate? The only thing I can advise is to take the papers to a lawyer. If you are saying that you want to challenge the will, you will have the burden to prove that your mother was incompetent at the time she signed the new Will, or that she signed it under the undue influence of your sister. It will be hard for you to investigate this and get medical records because if you are not the estate executor. Your attorney should be able to obtain these records and assess the situation.