• How Does Disinheritance Work? | Bakerink, McCusker & Belden

    In regard to wills, it is commonly thought that simply leaving an heir out of a will automatically disinherits that person. However, this isn’t necessarily applicable in all cases, as you’ll learn when you watch this video or consult a will lawyer near Tracy or Manteca. Spouses and children are direct heirs and California estate law presumes that wills are to include them.

    This means that if a direct heir is left out of the will, the will may be contested in court and possibly declared invalid. To definitively prevent someone from inheriting part of the estate, it’s necessary to have an estate planning lawyer include a disinheritance clause in the will. There is no need to include a reason for the disinheritance.