Last Will and Testament for Widow or Widower with Minor Children
Note: This summary is not intended to be an all-inclusive discussion of the law of wills in Connecticut, but does contain basic and other information. This summary does not include a discussion of handwritten wills.
Who may make a will: Any person eighteen years of age or older, and of sound mind, may dispose of his estate by will. Sec. 45a-250. (Formerly Sec. 45-160).
Making and execution of wills: Wills executed outside the state. A will or codicil shall not be valid to pass any property unless it is in writing, subscribed by the testator and attested by two witnesses, each of them subscribing in the testator's presence; but any will executed according to the laws of the state or country where it was executed may be admitted to probate in this state and shall be effectual to pass any property of the testator situated in this state. Sec. 45a-251. (Formerly Sec. 45-161).
Revocation of a Will: A will or any part thereof is revoked:
Except as provided by sections 45a-257a to 45a-257d, inclusive, a will or codicil shall not be revoked in any other manner except by burning, cancelling, tearing or obliterating it by the testator or by some person in the testator's presence by the testator's direction, or by a later will or codicil. Sec. 45a-257. (Formerly Sec. 45-162).
Share of estate of surviving spouse who married testator after making of will:
(a) If a testator fails to provide by will for the testator's surviving spouse who married the testator after the execution of the will, the surviving spouse shall receive the same share of the estate the surviving spouse would have received if the decedent left no will unless:
(1) It appears from the will that the omission was intentional; or (2) the testator provided for the spouse by transfer outside the will and the intent that the transfer be in lieu of a testamentary provision is shown by the testator's statements, or is reasonably inferred from the amount of the transfer or other evidence.
(b) In satisfying a share provided in subsection (a) of this section, devises and legacies made by the will abate in accordance with section 45a-426.
(c) A surviving spouse receiving a share under this section may not elect to take a statutory share under section 45a-436.
Share of estate of surviving children born or adopted after execution of will:
(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, if a testator fails to provide in the testator's will for any of the testator's children born or adopted after the execution of the will, including any child who is born as a result of artificial insemination to which the testator has consented in accordance with subsection (b) of section 45a-772, the omitted after-born or after-adopted child receives a share in the estate as follows:
(1) If the testator had no child living when the testator executed the will, an omitted after-born or after-adopted child receives a share in the estate equal in value to that which the child would have received had the testator died intestate, unless the will devised or bequeathed all or substantially all of the estate to the other parent of the omitted child and that other parent survives the testator and is entitled to take under the will.
(2) If the testator had one or more children living when the testator executed the will, and the will devised or bequeathed property or an interest in property to one or more of the then-living children, an omitted after-born or after-adopted child is entitled to share in the testator's estate as follows:
(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (E) of this subdivision, the portion of the testator's estate in which the omitted after-born or after-adopted child is entitled to share is limited to devises and legacies made to the testator's then-living children under the will.
(B) The omitted after-born or after-adopted child is entitled to receive the share of the testator's estate, as limited in subparagraph (A) of this subdivision, that the child would have received had the testator included all omitted after-born and after-adopted children with the children to whom devises and legacies were made under the will and had given an equal share of the estate to each child.
(C) To the extent feasible, the interest granted an omitted after-born or after-adopted child under this section must be of the same character, whether equitable or legal, present or future, as that devised or bequeathed to the testator's then-living children under the will.
(D) In satisfying a share provided by this subdivision, devises and legacies to the testator's children who were living when the will was executed abate ratably. In the abatement of the devises and legacies of the then-living children, to the maximum extent possible the character of the testamentary plan adopted by the testator shall be preserved.
(E) If it appears from the will that the intention of the testator was to make a limited provision which specifically applied only to the testator's living children at the time the will was executed, the after-born or after-adopted child succeeds to the portion of such testator's estate as would have passed to such child had the testator died intestate.
(b) The provisions of subsection (a) of this section shall not apply if:
(1) It appears from the will that the omission was intentional; or
(2) The testator provided for the omitted after-born or after-adopted child by transfer outside the will and the intent that the transfer be in lieu of a testamentary provision is shown by the testator's statements or is reasonably inferred from the amount of the transfer or other evidence.
(c) If at the time of execution of the will the testator fails to provide in the will for a living child solely because the testator believes the child to be dead, the child is entitled to share in the estate as if the child were an omitted after-born or after-adopted child.
(d) In satisfying a share provided in subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of this section, devises and legacies made by the will abate in accordance with section 45a-426.
