Section PRP.04.68 — Proving, Contesting And Admitting Will

(a) Proof of Will

(1) Upon initiating the probate of an estate, the will of the decedent shall be filed with the Court. The will may be proven and admitted to probate by filing the affidavit of an attesting witness which identifies such will as being the will which the decedent executed and declared to be their last will.

(2) If the evidence of none of the attesting witnesses is available, the Court may allow proof of the will by testimony or other evidence that the signature of the testator or at least one of the witnesses is genuine.

(b) Contest of Will

(1) At any time within 90 days after a will has been admitted to probate, or within such time as the Court shall establish in the case of an exempt estate, any person having an interest in the decedent's estate may contest the validity of the will. In the event of a will contest, the Court shall take no further action with respect to the probate of the estate, but shall set a day and hour for hearing on the will contest.

(2) Relevant evidence shall be presented at the will hearing concerning the decedent's capacity to execute a valid will and the circumstances surrounding its execution. Every reasonable effort shall be made to procure the testimony of the attesting witnesses to the will, or if their testimony is not reasonably available, an effort shall be made to identify signatures to the will through other evidence.

(1) Upon considering all relevant evidence concerning the will, the Tribal Court shall enter an order affirming the admission of the will to probate or rejecting such will and ordering that the probate of the decedent's estate proceed as if the decedent had died without executing the will.