If you’re a California resident managing an estate or worried about protecting your family’s inheritance rights, a recent legal development could significantly impact your ability to contest a trust—even if you were never named as a beneficiary.
The Legal Question: Who Has Standing to Contest a Trust in California?
In Hamlin v. Jendayi, California courts clarified an important principle: intestate heirs have standing to contest a trust even if they were never named as trust beneficiaries.
What does this mean for you?
- Intestate heirs are individuals who would inherit from someone who died without a will under California’s intestate succession laws—typically children, spouses, parents, or siblings.
- Standing means you have the legal right to bring a lawsuit or challenge the validity of a trust in court.
- Even if a trust document doesn’t name you as a beneficiary, you may still have the right to contest it if you would have inherited assets had the trust not existed.
Why This Matters for California Families
This ruling protects family members who may have been excluded from a trust due to:
- Undue influence or coercion by another party
- Lack of mental capacity when the trust was created
- Fraud or forgery
- Failure to follow proper legal procedures
Without this legal standing, rightful heirs could be shut out of challenging suspicious or invalid trusts, leaving them with no recourse even when something appears wrong.
Real-World Scenario: When You Might Need to Contest a Trust
Imagine this situation: Your aging parent created a trust years ago naming you and your siblings as beneficiaries. Later, a new caregiver enters the picture, and suddenly a new trust is drafted that removes all family members and names only the caregiver. Under Hamlin v. Jendayi, you have standing to challenge that trust—even though you’re not named in the new version—because you’re an intestate heir who would inherit if the trust were invalid.
How California Probate and Trust, PC Can Help
Navigating trust contests and probate disputes requires deep knowledge of California estate law and a compassionate approach to family dynamics. At California Probate and Trust, PC, our certified estate planning specialists help California residents:
- Understand their legal rights as heirs and beneficiaries
- Evaluate whether grounds exist to challenge a trust
- Navigate complex probate and trust litigation
- Protect family legacies with transparent, comprehensive estate plans
We’ve represented thousands of clients across Sacramento, Fair Oaks, and San Francisco, providing the one-stop-shop legal and financial guidance that families need during uncertain times.
Take Action: Protect Your Inheritance Rights
If you’re concerned about your rights as an heir or need to contest a trust in California, don’t wait. The attorneys at California Probate and Trust, PC offer free consultations to assess your situation and outline your options.
Schedule your free consultation today: Call (866) 674-1130 or visit cpt.law to protect what matters most—your family and your legacy.