Opinion ID: 888136
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Unnaturalness of a Disposition

Text: ¶30 The District Court concluded that the disposition to Stanton was a more natural distribution than a distribution to charities to which Frances had little or no connection during her lifetime. Frances's close friends testified that Frances still referred to Stanton as her son-in-law even after his divorce and that Frances promised Joanne that she would take care of Stanton. Frances's brother, Joseph Scanlan, also knew of, and supported, Frances's intention to leave her estate to Stanton. ¶31 Trail's End admits it never met with Frances or had any other connection with her. Stusek also stated that, when he drafted the 1996 Trust Agreement, he suggested a list of tax-exempt organizations, including Trail's End, from which Frances could choose. The District Court correctly concluded that the disposition was natural and that this factor raised no questions of fact regarding the presence of undue influence.