Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in Illinois

Re: Is the Will Valid?

There are a lot of issues that you raise, however, unless you and your brother were specificially named in the will, it is unlikely that you will be entitled to any inheritance.

Where did your great aunt die? The next thing to look at is whether the will said "to Aunt #2 per stirpes." It is says "per stirpes" it means that after aunt #2 passed away, it would go to her children.

Your aunt's husband is entitled to a share of the estate, even if he was not mentioned in the will, as would be her children (if any).

Generally, a hand-written change to a will is not valid (it is not in Illinois); however, depending on the state in which your aunt died, this answer could vary.

If you have a copy of the will, you should have a local attorney review it to determine whether you have any rights.

Lastly, check to see if the will is being probated. From your description of land being held in other states, it sounds like the estate had a substantial value to it - requiring that it be probated if it did not all pass to her spouse (possibly by the way she had the land titled).

Good luck to you.

Re: Is the Will Valid?

Your questioon is too complicated to answer in this type of format, mainly because the will needs to be physically reviewed by an attorney. However, if you consult with a local attorney, your questions should be able to be answered in short order.