Monthly Archives: June 2023

Virginia has a version of the “harmless error rule” that may permit a will to be probated even if it does not strictly comply with the conventional formalities required for a writing to constitute a valid will. Traditionally, Virginia, like most states, required all wills to strictly comply with the legal requirement rules set forth in the code for when a writing can constitute a valid will. Any deviation, even if minor, usually meant that clerks and courts would not admit the will to probate as a valid will. That often led to some harsh results. In 2007, the Virginia …