Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in Ohio

You should first find out how long you have to challenge the validity of your father's will. The law in Ohio is that you have 3 months from the date of the filing of the Certificate of Service of Notice of Probate of Will. This is a probate form that has to be filed in the estate. After you have determined how long you have you should quickly seek the advice of an attorney. I always tell my clients to get a copy of the will and the application to probate the estate. Again, you can get these from the court file. When a will contest is being contemplated, the "relationship" between the child and the parent is examined; ie, if there was a good, loving relationship, the question then becomes "Why were you left out of the will?" The next questions are: 1) was there undue influence exerted upon him to leave you out?; 2) was your father competent? 3) What was your father's medical/physical/mental condition when he signed the will? Filing a will contest is a complicated and complex matter that should be handled by an attorney who is familiar with these types of cases.