Parents do have a right to update or change their estate plan after they’ve made it. It’s important for them to review the plan periodically, considering their assets and any changes to their family so that they can make appropriate adjustments. The first will and testament that the person writes is rarely the final one that is used upon their passing.
That being said, you may have recently found out that your parents changed their will at the last minute. Maybe you are suddenly going to inherit far less than you expected. You’re unhappy with this change and you’re wondering why it happened. There are a few reasons for last-minute changes that could qualify as red flags, perhaps triggering an estate dispute. Here are two examples.
Undue influence
First off, undo influence is when an outside party influences the person to change their will. For instance, maybe one of your siblings read the estate plan and decided that they wanted more of the assets themselves. So they manipulated your parents to alter the will, shifting those assets out of your name and into their own.
Fraud or forgery
In other cases, you may believe that the changes are entirely fraudulent. Maybe you think the new will is a forgery. Or perhaps you believe that your sibling actively changed the documentation after your parents passed away, trying to alter the estate plan in their favor.
What can you do?
If you do see these types of red flags, it may necessitate complex estate litigation. Take the time to carefully consider all of your legal options.