Undue Influence and Suspicious Circumstances: 'A Whole Ball of Wax

• Author: Jordan M. Atin
• Pages: 231-238



UndueInuenceand

SuspiciousCircumstances

AWHOLEBALLOFWAX

JordanMAtinCS*

The interrelation of suspicious circum stances testamentar ycapacit y

andundueinuencehasperplexedbot hthecourtsandl itigants

judgmentsdealingwithlitigationofthiskindaboundinlang uage

thatisha zyobscureandext remelydicultto reconcileWh ilepara-

graphs can be taken f rom judgments seing out in c onvenient form

anexposition oftheexist inglawitisanaltoget herdierentmaerto

applythatlawtoagivensetoffacts

THECOURTWell Iremembe rsome oft hoseca sesabout suspicious

circumsta ncesandtheaempttomakeadisti nctionbetweenthata nd

undueinuencebutImustconfessIneverunderstoodthemItalways

seemed to me that . . . .

MRHULLItsallwrappedupinaballofwax

 OfAtinProfessiona lCorporationThepur poseofthispaperi stoprovideabrief

contextualbackg roundofthelegaliss uesforthepresentat ionbyJusticeThomas

LedereronUnderstandi ngtheCourtApproachtoAl legationsofUndueInuence

andSuspiciousCirc umstances

 VoutvHaySCRatparaSopinkaJ

 DrCecilWrightWillsTestamentaryCapacitySuspiciousCircu mstances

BurdenofProofcasecommentCanBarRevatcitedinVoutv

Hayibid