Will Caveats · Unmerited Claims · Missing Assets · Fiduciary Duty

The existence of a will does not necessarily answer all the questions in settling a person’s estate. Sometimes the reading of the will creates conflicts and accusations rather than clarifying matters. Probate can be even more complex and contentious if the person died without a will.

Upper Marlboro attorney Ralph W. Powers Jr. represents beneficiaries, excluded heirs and personal representatives in all types of probate disputes. He brings more than 35 years of experience in probate administration and probate litigation, and he is among just five or six attorneys who regularly appear before the Prince George’s County Orphans’ Court (probate court).

Mr. Powers handles probate litigation in Prince George’s, Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s counties. We welcome clients statewide and from out of state who are involved in a dispute over a southern Maryland estate. Contact us about probate litigation.

Upper Marlboro Will Contests Attorney

An accomplished trial lawyer, Ralph Powers has successfully challenged and defended wills, and he has handled nearly every scenario of estate litigation:

• Caveat to the will — Will contests on the basis of fraud, undue influence or mental incompetency of the deceased at the time the will was signed
• Claims against the estate — Creditors, relatives or other parties asserting that they are owed money or entitled to an inheritance
• Missing assets — Family members or caregivers who received “gifts” while the person was alive or who took property from the estate after death
• Valuation of assets — Arguments over the value and equal distribution of real estate, business shares, heirlooms or other inherited property
• Breach of fiduciary duty — Allegations of theft, collusion, excessive expenses or other impropriety or incompetence on the part of the personal representative
• Intestate proceedings — Dividing the estate according to statute when there is no valid will

Ralph Powers has handled major probate trials, including will caveats to a $34 million estate, recovery of $2 million in property stolen from an estate by an estranged daughter, and a notable case involving interpretation of the elective share statute (widow’s benefit).

Problem Solving And Courtroom Advocacy

We always explore other remedies before going to court. Sometimes claimants or family members at odds can reach a settlement or mutual agreement, and our firm offers mediation services for amenable cases. However, our legal team is fully prepared to litigate to assert our client’s interests, to right a wrong or to defend the integrity of the deceased’s stated wishes.

Our office is just a few blocks from the Orphans’ Court in Upper Marlboro. Call us at 240-847-0738 or email us to arrange an appointment with our southern Maryland and Annapolis probate litigation attorney.

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