Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in California

Re: Legal Name

It depends. There should be enough information to identify the signator. It would certainly help that the name is unusual, and all the information on the will put together leads to the person. It also depends on the amount of the estate, and if there is going to be a contest about the will. If you have any questions, contact me.

Re: Legal Name

The MA law sounds as if it is the same or similar to the laws of CA. The verbage of the name should be enough to sufficiently identify the person in case of any will contest. If this is from a family of "Mr. Doe's" than it is likely that Mr. Doe would be insufficient. If there were only one Mr. Doe in the town, and that Mr. Doe was very close to the decedant, then it may be sufficient. Regardless, most legal professionals would probably agree that the more specific you can get in a bequest, the more likely the bequest is going to reach the right person upon the death of the decedant, because the decedant cannot no longer express their wishes.

If you have any questions please contact my office.

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