does a beneficiary of an investment account trump a will if the account was closed 6 months before the person died and the sole beneficiary in the will died before this person

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does a beneficiary of an investment account trump a will if the account was closed 6 months before the person died and the sole beneficiary in the will died before this person

i was named beneficiary on an investment account. The person who opened the
account, closed the account 4-6 months prior to their death. In the will her
brother and believe it or not her cat were to receive her estate. The brother
died before her, had no family also. Will the fact that she named me as
beneficiary of the money in the investment account and knowing that there are no
other heirs to her estate but the cat, show intent that she wanted me to have the
money.

Asked on October 5, 2017 under Estate Planning, District of Columbia

Answers:

SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 6 years ago | Contributor

No, it does not show this:
1) First, only a validly signed and witnessed written will "shows" a person's intentions for their property or assets after death in a legally enforceable way. Anything that is not a will is legally irrelevant.
2) She closed the account prior to her death: therefore, if anything, she showed by her actions that you were not to receive those monies, since the thing you were a beneficiary of was eliminated.


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