▁patients ▁and ▁was ▁caught ▁after ▁for ging ▁one ▁patient ' s ▁will ▁to ▁benefit ▁himself . ▁ ▁Leg al ▁inheritance ▁rights ▁Some ▁juris dict ions ▁permit ▁an ▁election ▁against ▁the ▁will ▁by ▁a ▁wid owed ▁sp ouse ▁or ▁or phan ed ▁children . ▁That ▁is ▁not ▁a ▁contest ▁against ▁the ▁will ▁itself ▁( the ▁valid ity ▁of ▁the ▁will ▁is ▁irrelevant ), ▁but ▁an ▁alternate ▁procedure ▁established ▁by ▁stat ute ▁to ▁contest ▁the ▁disposition ▁of ▁property . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom , ▁will s ▁are ▁often ▁cont ested ▁on ▁the ▁basis ▁that ▁a ▁child ▁of ▁the ▁dece ased ▁( or ▁somebody ▁treated ▁as ▁such ) ▁was ▁be que athed ▁nothing ▁or ▁less ▁than ▁could ▁reason ably ▁be ▁expected . ▁ ▁Pract ic ability ▁In ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁research ▁finds ▁that ▁between ▁ 0 . 5 % ▁and ▁ 3 % ▁of ▁will s ▁are ▁cont ested . ▁Despite ▁that ▁small ▁percentage , ▁given ▁the ▁millions ▁of ▁American ▁will s ▁prob ated ▁every ▁year ▁it ▁means ▁that ▁a ▁substantial ▁number ▁of ▁will ▁cont ests ▁occur . ▁As ▁of ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 8 0 ss , ▁the ▁most ▁common ▁reason ▁for ▁contest ing ▁a ▁will ▁is ▁und ue ▁influence ▁and / or ▁supposed ▁lack ▁of ▁test ament ary ▁capacity , ▁account ing ▁for ▁about ▁three ▁qu arters ▁of ▁will ▁cont ests ; ▁another ▁ 1 5 % ▁of ▁will ▁cont ests ▁are ▁based ▁on ▁an ▁alleg ed ▁failure ▁to ▁ad here ▁to ▁required ▁formal ities ▁in ▁the ▁disput ed ▁will ;