Shannon Pawley, The Estate & Asset Protection Law Firm Owner, elaborates on the grounds and legal process required in order to contest a will.

DECATUR, GA, July 24, 2024: Shannon Pawley, Owner of The Estate & Asset Protection Law Firm, has posted a new article on the law firm’s website entitled “How to Contest a Will: Grounds and Process.” Ms. Pawley emphasizes that the burden of proof in contesting a will is on the person challenging the will.

Pawley states, “You’ve likely heard about many instances of wills being challenged after a famous person has died. For instance, Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin and Phillip Seymour Hoffman come immediately to mind. However,” she adds, “you may even know someone not of celebrity status who has passed, and their family is contesting the will, giving you the motivation to perhaps challenge a will.”

According to Pawley, “Before you launch into contesting a will there are several things you must know to be successful. However, I say this in all seriousness: Contesting a will can be a steep uphill battle and you’ll require solid legal advice about your chances before doing anything. Additionally,” she adds, “there are specific reasons that are grounds for contesting a will. Likewise, there are specific processes that must be followed.”

As Pawley reiterates, “You must have a very good, provable reason to contest a will. There are several general reasons that provide grounds for contesting a will.” She provides an overview of the most accepted reasons, first of which is last of testamentary capacity. In other words, the person must have been of sound mind when creating the will. Pawley is emphatic in saying, “But, you’ll need proof. You can’t just say the person was incompetent.”

The entire article can be read here: How to Contest a Will: Grounds and Process

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.