Can You Avoid Your Will Being Contested?
You wouldn't want the finality of your final will and testament to be contested. And yet, it can happen. It might be that certain beneficiaries are dissatisfied with the portion of your estate that they receive, whether through a share of your assets or the predetermined monetary value you have bequeathed to them. It might also be that certain persons in your life wish to dispute the fact that they have not been listed as a beneficiary at all. While it's not possible to exhaustively avoid wills being contested, there are certain means within your power to reduce the likelihood of this occurring.
Professional Assistance in the Preparation of Your Will
There are many will kits available that allow you to prepare the document yourself, but if you're wary of your will being contested upon its execution, you could benefit from having the document prepared by a solicitor. Their knowledge allows them to structure the will in a way that can solidify it, from the disbursement of your estate to the very terminology that is used in the will. It's by no means an ironclad means for staving off a later dispute, but it can give an additional level of security. The solicitor who helps to prepare the will might have additional tips.
Your Home
If you're concerned about passing on your home to a certain beneficiary and having this contested, you might wish to amend the legal ownership of the property during your lifetime. Your chosen beneficiary can be legally listed as a co-owner, meaning their inheritance of the property upon your passing is more assured. Legislation as to the legality of this method can vary depending on which state or territory the property is located in, but your solicitor can advise you with regards to whether it's possible.
Cash and Other Assets
You can reduce the size of your estate by gifting cash and other assets to chosen persons and organisations during your lifetime. This can be a slightly problematic approach, since it means that the persons and organisations will receive a significantly diminished amount upon your passing (if anything at all). It's entirely a matter of personal preference, but it's difficult for an estate to be contested when much of it was dispersed during the lifetime of its owner.
Ideally your final wishes will be honoured, and yet if you're concerned that there might be issues with this, there are several methods to offset this possibility.