Estate & Asset Protection Law Firm Owner, Shannon Pawley, gives the five reasons one may have for challenging a will and two good ways to avoid having anyone challenge or contest one’s last wishes.

DECATUR, GA, May 19, 2022: Shannon Pawley, Owner of The Estate & Asset Protection Law Firm, has posted a new article on the law firm’s website entitled “How A Will Could Be Challenged In Probate Court And How To Proactively Plan To Avoid Such Challenges,” in which Ms. Pawley reveals how costly it can be to contest a will.

Pawley states, “It happens every day. A loved one dies. Someone expects they will be included in the loved one’s will. But much to that person’s surprise, they find out they have been completely left out of said will.” She continues, “In some cases, while someone may not be completely left out, they may not have inherited what they were expecting.” According to Pawley, “The last thing anyone who has created a will wants is to have the will they so carefully created to be contested. By law, though, a will can be contested.”

Pawley notes that, “There are very specific reasons that allow a will to be contested.” She elaborates, “Whoever decides to contest a will must prove that the person who created the will intended something other than what ended up in the will.” She adds, “It’s costly to contest a will. In Georgia, the costs can range from $10,000 to $50,000 and more depending on the size of the estate. You’ll want to make sure that it will be worth it. The stakes are going to be high financially and emotionally as probate can be delayed for years and relationships can be destroyed when a will is contested.”

Pawley goes on the elaborate on the five legally recognized reasons someone may have for challenging a will which include mental capacity, fraud, undue influence, improper execution and revocation by creation of a new will. Pawley elaborates on each reason.

Pawley then turns her attention to how to avoid having a will challenged. One way she suggests is, “If you are comfortable discussing these things with your loved ones, it’s a good idea to do so while you are alive and lucid. This can preclude any surprises and give your heirs the chance to talk things over with you and understand your reasoning.”

The entire article can be read at LINK HERE

About The Estate & Asset Protection Law Firm

The Estate & Asset Protection Law Firm was established to serve the legal needs of retiring citizens. The Firm focuses its entire practice on providing strategies to protect independence, privacy, assets and taxes from the government. Shannon Pawley has grown her law practice by providing excellent customer satisfaction with personalized wealth protection plans.

About Shannon M. Pawley, J.D., LL.M

As the owner of The Estate & Asset Protection Law Firm, Shannon M. Pawley and her entire team share a passion which focuses on being able to serve the legal needs of retiring individuals. In our firm, WE BELIEVE that people should not have to lose everything they’ve worked a lifetime to earn and that every person is an individual who deserves respect and the highest quality of life possible, regardless of age or ability. We also believe that privacy and protection are the keys to personal peace. Born and raised in the Tidewater area of Virginia to a tightknit family with strong military service roots, Shannon learned from an early age the value of hard work and the importance of social awareness to ensure you always leave a situation in a better place than how you entered it. In her junior year of high school, Shannon served as U.S. House of Representatives Page during the 101st United States Congressional Session in Washington, D.C. This experience exposed her to numerous new cultures and worldly issues. Walking away from her experience as a U.S. House of Representative Page, Shannon knew that she wanted to pursue legal studies and be able to assist others in obtaining the best results available in difficult situations.
Shannon earned her undergraduate degree at North Carolina Wesleyan College and pursued a law degree from Michigan State University College of Law. After obtaining her law degree and becoming a licensed attorney in Michigan, she continued her educational pursuit by acquiring a LL.M. (Master of Law) in Taxation from Wayne State University. After moving to Georgia in 2018, Shannon obtained her Georgia law license and has enjoyed being able to pursue her desire of ensuring persons are able to age with dignity, grace and independence.

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