Opinion ID: 2632331
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: showing lack of testamentary capacity

Text: Opponents contend the trial court erred in ruling the opponents to the will were required to show lack of testamentary capacity by clear, satisfactory, and convincing evidence. Determination of burden of proof is a question of law over which this court has unlimited review. See Fischer v. Kansas Dept. of SRS, 271 Kan. 167, 175, 21 P.3d 509 (2001). The trial court relied upon Arney, 174 Kan. at 67-68, for the proposition that an attestation clause serves as presumptive evidence and its recitals may only be overcome by clear, satisfactory, and convincing evidence, and In re Estate of Bennett, 19 Kan. App. 2d 154, 865 P.2d 1062, rev. denied 254 Kan. 1007 (1994), which held that clear, satisfactory, and convincing evidence is required. Opponents contend that because the attestation clause does not reference Farr's capacity, the burden of clear, satisfactory, and convincing evidence does not apply. In Bennett, the Court of Appeals addressed this same issue with regard to the burden of proof necessary to show undue influence. In that case, the opponents of the will asserted that the level of evidence necessary to show undue influence was preponderance of the evidence and not clear and convincing evidence. After reviewing the cited authorities, the Bennett court held that they were either no longer controlling or were misstatements of the required standard of proof. 19 Kan. App.2d at 163. The Court of Appeals relied instead upon cases in which this court stated that the standard of proof required to rebut a prima facie case was that of clear, satisfactory, and convincing evidence. 19 Kan. App.2d at 163-64; see In re Estate of Suesz, 228 Kan. 275, 277, 613 P.2d 947 (1980); Perkins, 210 Kan. at 624; In re Estate of Wittman, 161 Kan. 398, 401-02, 168 P.2d 541 (1946); In re Estate of Wallace, 158 Kan. 633, 637, 149 P.2d 595 (1944). The Bennett court also noted that another reason for requiring clear and convincing evidence to prove undue influence is because undue influence is a species of fraud and that the burden of proving fraud has almost always been higher than preponderance of the evidence. 19 Kan. App.2d at 164. In Haneberg, this court relied upon Bennett and required opponents alleging undue influence to prove their claim by clear, satisfactory, and convincing evidence. 270 Kan. at 374. Opponents contend the Bennett court's primary rationale for requiring clear and convincing evidence was because undue influence is a species of fraud, claiming that there is no similar rationale with regard to testamentary capacity. The decision in Bennett, however, seems to have been based primarily upon prior Kansas cases and the recognition that historically substantial proof has been required to overcome a prima facie case. 19 Kan. App.2d at 163-64. The analogy of the higher standard of proof required to show undue influence, a species of fraud, although undoubtedly influencing the court's decision, does not appear, as opponents contend, to be the primary basis for the Bennett court's decision. This court has previously recognized that clear, satisfactory, and convincing evidence is the burden that must be met in challenging testamentary capacity. See Suesz, 228 Kan. at 277 (after proponents of will established prima facie case of capacity, a showing by clear, satisfactory, and convincing evidence was required to prove incapacity of the testator). Kansas courts have also applied the burden of clear, satisfactory, and convincing evidence to other defenses to a will. See Arney, 174 Kan. at 67-68 (in claim that will was not properly executed and attested as required by law, attestation clause was presumptive evidence of facts stated in it and its recitals may only be overcome by clear, satisfactory, and convincing evidence); see also Feeney and Carmichael, Will Contests in Kansas, 64 J.K.B.A. 25 (1995). There is no basis for requiring a different burden of proof to show lack of testamentary capacity. Thus, the trial court did not err in finding the opponents must have shown lack of testamentary capacity by clear, satisfactory, and convincing evidence.