Will Contests in Pennsylvania

Generally courts hold a person’s last will and testament to be a sacred. However for more than 100 years Pennsylvania has allowed contested will litigation where there is reason to believe that the decedent drafted or changed a will because of undue influence by an individual or organization, fraud, duress or lack of capacity. Acting in good faith, the creator of the will may have tried to amend the will but did so improperly. The will may lack the required witness signatures or may be altogether fraudulent. For over 30 years Clifford B. Cohn has been litigating in Orphan’s Court in Pennsylvania serving the needs of organizations, charitable foundations, families, individuals who have legitimate will contest claims.

In fact, Mr. Cohn was successful in changing a 100 years of precedent in holding that a bank had unduly influenced a will. (See Estate of Levin in representative Cases) If you believe a will was drafted or changed as a result of undue influence, coercion, duress or fraud, a lawyer may be necessary. Mr. Cohn has a record of representing individuals, Organizations including charitable foundations, families, as well as administrators, executors and others who are fighting for the rightful distribution of estate assets or to prevent the distribution to the wrong parties.

The resolution of a will contest can be extraordinarily complex and involve events that occurred many years prior to the death of the decedent. Our goal in these cases is to protect the rights of our clients and secure for them the estate proceeds they are entitled to.

If you are the executor, administrator, heir, beneficiary or creditor owed a debt by an estate with concerns about the distribution of estate assets or other provisions of a will, we invite you to contact us.