If a Beneficiary in a Will is Incorrectly Identified (i.e. ‘Step-Daughter-in-Law’), Is the Will Invalid?

Clear identification of the beneficiaries is the goal of the writings within a Last Will and Testament.

So unless the description of a relationship of beneficiaries to the donor makes clear identification difficult, the mis-identification of ‘relationship descriptor’ should not be fatal to the gift.

But clarity could be a matter of construction for a Probate Court to decide.

Again, if the Will clearly identifies the beneficiaries, the designation associated with such persons would not make the Will invalid or necessarily cause any gift to lapse.

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