Opinion ID: 1948783
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: the clause in dispute

Text: On the record before us we conclude, as did the trial judge, that this clause should be exscinded from the will. As we have recently had occasion to note, this Court is committed to the doctrine of probable intent. Engle v. Siegel, supra . At least since Wilson v. Flowers, 58 N.J. 250, 262-63 (1971) we have shown great willingness to receive extrinsic evidence bearing upon a testator's probable wishes. If this doctrine is to achieve and maintain credibility, we cannot ignore what such proofs disclose. The evidence in this case makes clear, beyond any doubt, that this clause found its way into the will purely by some now undiscoverable inadvertence. No one has in any way sought to impugn the veracity of those witnesses who testified at the trial. The attorney and the trust officer did not say merely that they did not remember receiving instructions to include the clause in dispute; each stated unequivocally and categorically that no such direction was ever given. Upon such a record the clause should be exscinded. Doubly is this so where the testator's dominant intent, as well as a significant subsidiary intent, are both utterly frustrated by its inclusion. Both the trial court and the Appellate Division held that to the extent the non-marital share was insufficient to pay taxes, they should be paid out of the inter vivos trust rather than from the marital share. This issue is not strenuously challenged here. In any event we entirely agree with the courts below for the reasons expressed in their respective opinions. The judgment of the Appellate Division is affirmed in part and reversed in part as set forth above. SULLIVAN, J., and CLIFFORD, J., dissenting. We would affirm the judgment substantially for the reasons expressed in the opinion of the Appellate Division. For affirmance in part and reversal in part  Chief Justice HUGHES and Justices MOUNTAIN, PASHMAN, SCHREIBER and HANDLER  5. For affirmance  Justices SULLIVAN and CLIFFORD  2.