Usually, only if the estate is large enough or the problem is serious enough. A will contest in Washington can get expensive fast, and the better question is: what is your realistic upside after fees, delay, and proof problems?

In Seattle, most probate cases go through King County Superior Court. If you want to challenge a will's validity in Washington, the deadline is short: generally within 4 months after the will is admitted to probate, or after formal notice if the estate is using a nonintervention process. Miss that window and the argument is often over before it starts.

The cost-benefit math matters. If the estate has modest assets, a fight over a few extra thousands can disappear into attorney's fees, appraisals, medical records, and hearings. If the estate includes a house in Seattle, retirement accounts, or business interests, the numbers may justify a challenge.

The claims that tend to be worth pursuing are the ones with evidence, not just family suspicion:

• Lack of testamentary capacity
• Undue influence
• Fraud
• Improper execution of the will

Washington also allows broader estate disputes under TEDRA (the Trust and Estate Dispute Resolution Act), which can sometimes lead to mediation instead of a full court brawl. That can save money, which is not nothing.

The follow-up question you should be asking is: what assets are even in probate? Some big-ticket property may pass outside the will entirely, like joint accounts, life insurance, retirement accounts with beneficiaries, or property in a living trust. If the main assets are nonprobate, winning a will contest may change less than people expect.

One more money point: Washington has its own estate tax for larger estates, with tax generally starting above about $2.193 million. That does not decide whether a contest is worthwhile, but it can affect what is really available to fight over.