Quora Answer: Can a Mother Cut Her First-Born Out of Her Will & Give That Share to the Second Child?

The following is my answer to a Quora question: “My friend’s mother wants to cut her firstborn child out of her will, and give everything to her second born child.  Is she not better, giving the firstborn a trivial amount to stop a court case?”

This is her will.  Those are her assets.  She can decide to bequeath her entire estate to the local Church of Satan, and the Society for the Advancement of Bubonic Plague, and as long as the will is properly witnessed and notarised, there is nothing to challenge.

Wills may be challenged on the grounds that the will was made under duress, or when the creator of the estate was not in full control of his faculties, and unduly impressed to favour someone.  They may also be challenged if the witnesses are proven to be of doubtful character.  Otherwise, there is not a thing anybody can do.