Brief Fact Summary. Testator last executed will left most of her estate to her only surviving child and left very little to her two grandsons whom she had helped to raise. The will was drafted by the chief beneficiary’s family attorney and Plaintiff’s allege that the will should not be admitted to probate on grounds of undue influence.
Synopsis of Rule of Law. A presumption of undue influence created by a professional conflict of interest along with a confidential relationship between the testator and the beneficiary, must be rebutted by the proponent of the will with clear and convincing evidence.
A confidential relationship exists when the testator, by reason of weakness or dependence, reposes trust in the particular beneficiary, or if the parties occupied a relationship in which reliance was naturally inspired or in fact existed.
View Full Point of LawIssue.
Whether a will is invalid on the grounds of undue influence attributable to the fact that the attorney who advised the testator and prepared the will was also the attorney for the chief beneficiary, the testator’s daughter whom the testator depended on?
Whether under New Jersey common law a no-contest or in terrorem clause is enforceable?
Held.
Remanded. A presumption of undue influence created by a professional conflict of interest on the part of an attorney, coupled with confidential relationships between a testator and the beneficiary, must be rebutted by clear and convincing evidence. The matter must therefore be remanded to the trial court for new findings of fact and conclusions of law based on this burden of proof.
No. Reversed. When there is probable cause to challenge a will or trust agreement an in terrorem clause will not be enforced. Since the trial court concluded that the Plaintiff’s case was with good faith and based on probable cause the no contest provision will not be enforced.
Dissent. Dissenting in part concerning the in terrorem clause. Although the legislature has since made such clauses unenforceable by statute when the testator included this provision it was within judicially declared public policy to have them enforced. The testator’s wishes should therefore be upheld and the clause enforced.
Discussion. First element needed to raise a presumption of undue influence is a confidential relationship between the testator and a beneficiary. Such a relationship existed in this case as the testator was dependent on her sole surviving child for care and support. In addition the presumption needs the presence of suspicious circumstances which will shift the burden of proof to the proponent of the will. Suspicious circumstances existed in this case as the testator’s will was drastically altered by the family attorney of the chief beneficiary. The Court goes onto determine that a significant burden of proof needs to be imposed on a proponent of a will in such circumstances and therefore remands to determine if the proponents can met such burden.