A BENEFICIARY OF A WILL SHOULD NOT SIGN AS A WITNESS

A BENEFICIARY OF A WILL SHOULD NOT SIGN AS A WITNESS

One way to lose an inheritance is to sign as a witness in a Will you are to benefit from.

If you are named as a beneficiary in a Will, you should not sign as a witness to that Will. Doing so can deprive you of your benefit in the Will.

Under Nigerian succession law, a witness to a Will is expected to be neutral and uninterested.

The role of a witness is to confirm that the person making the Will signed the Will voluntarily and in sound mind.

But when a beneficiary signs as a witness, it creates a conflict of interest. The law may presume undue influence or bias and the consequences can be terrible and the gift made to that beneficiary may fail.

Imagine being entitled to a house, land, money or other property under a Will, only to lose it because you innocently signed as a witness.

This error often happens innocently, during moments when merely want to “help.”

Anything that suggests manipulation, pressure or personal interest can invalidate the benefit given.

A Will must be properly drafted and signed. Beneficiaries should stay away from the witnessing process. Let independent adults with no interest sign as witnesses.

So protect your inheritance.

Ignorance is not an excuse. Once a beneficiary signs as a witness, the damage may have already been done.

Proper legal guidance makes all the difference.

__________________
APEX CHAMBERS, Law Firm of Property/Real Estate and Business/Corporate/Commercial Lawyers, Attorneys, Barristers, Solicitors, Advocates and Legal Practitioners rendering legal services, Legal Consultants and Notary Public with Law Office in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

Phone: +234(0)7030868694 (Calls and Whatsapp)
Email: info@apexchambersglobal.com
Website: www.apexchambersglobal.com.