{ "id": 5320414, "name": "Johnny PAVLETICH, Contestant-Appellant, v. Louis M. PAVLETICH and Mary Katherine Pavletich, Respondents-Appellees", "name_abbreviation": "Pavletich v. Pavletich", "decision_date": "1967-06-12", "docket_number": "No. 8262", "first_page": "93", "last_page": "95", "citations": [ { "type": "official", "cite": "78 N.M. 93" }, { "type": "parallel", "cite": "428 P.2d 632" } ], "court": { "name_abbreviation": "N.M.", "id": 8835, "name": "Supreme Court of New Mexico" }, "jurisdiction": { "id": 52, "name_long": "New Mexico", "name": "N.M." }, "cites_to": [ { "cite": "210 N.E.2d 597", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "N.E.2d", "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "59 Ill.App.2d 388", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "Ill. App. 2d", "case_ids": [ 2601676 ], "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/ill-app-2d/59/0388-01" ] }, { "cite": "137 N.E.2d 555", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "N.E.2d", "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "11 Ill.App.2d 359", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "Ill. App. 2d", "case_ids": [ 5161573 ], "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/ill-app-2d/11/0359-01" ] }, { "cite": "74 N.W.2d 739", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "N.W.2d", "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "272 Wis. 163", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "Wis.", "case_ids": [ 8677283 ], "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/wis/272/0163-01" ] }, { "cite": "87 Idaho 366", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "Idaho", "case_ids": [ 4463852 ], "weight": 2, "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/idaho/87/0366-01" ] }, { "cite": "251 Iowa 777", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "Iowa", "case_ids": [ 2355471 ], "weight": 2, "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/iowa/251/0777-01" ] }, { "cite": "280 Ill.App. 332", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "Ill. App.", "case_ids": [ 5619517 ], "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/ill-app/280/0332-01" ] }, { "cite": "67 N.M. 77", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.M.", "case_ids": [ 2716949 ], "weight": 2, "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nm/67/0077-01" ] } ], "analysis": { "cardinality": 319, "char_count": 4090, "ocr_confidence": 0.648, "pagerank": { "raw": 4.03580807328026e-08, "percentile": 0.15788063319521717 }, "sha256": "49e1a24fbbab6eabb866f3bf78ff7dc0aacd50097c85789abc48c1b08f87727d", "simhash": "1:3bd01713102045fa", "word_count": 664 }, "last_updated": "2023-07-14T21:27:10.359171+00:00", "provenance": { "date_added": "2019-08-29", "source": "Harvard", "batch": "2018" }, "casebody": { "judges": [ "CHAVEZ, C. J., and WOOD, J., Court of Appeals, concur." ], "parties": [ "Johnny PAVLETICH, Contestant-Appellant, v. Louis M. PAVLETICH and Mary Katherine Pavletich, Respondents-Appellees." ], "opinions": [ { "text": "OPINION\nNOBLE, Justice.\nJohnny Pavletich, who contested the will of Martin Pavletich, deceased, has appealed from a judgment of the district court admitting the will to probate.\nThe instrument was drafted by John B. Wright, an attorney, and directed the testator\u2019s executors to employ Wright in its probate. It likewise recited that Mr. Wright was familiar with testator\u2019s wishes and problems and directed testator\u2019s trustee to employ Wright in legal matters pertaining to a trust, created by the instrument. Wright, his law partner, Paul A. Kastler, and their secretary, Mary Jane Williams, \u25a0were the subscribing witnesses to the instrument and testified to its execution by the 'testator.\nThis appeal turns on the application of two New Mexico statutes. Section 30-1-4, N.M.S.A.1953, requires wills to be in writing, signed by the testator, and \u201cattested in the presence of the testator by two (2) or more credible witnesses.\u201d Section 30-1-5, N.M.S.A.1953, goes on to provide that \u201c[pjersons becoming heirs, and those receiving benefits or legacies, by will, cannot \"be witnesses to the will in which they are interested.\u201d\n\u2022 The contestant\u2019s appeal centers upon the directions that Wright be employed to represent the executors and trustee. This, it is argued, either (1) constitutes a \u201cbenefit\u201d within the meaning of \u00a7 30-1-5, supra, or (2) prevents Wright from being a \u201ccredible witness\u201d as required by \u00a7 30-1-4, supra, because of a case law disqualification of interested parties. If successful under either of these propositions, the contestant relies on the Wright-Kastler partnership agreement to tinge Kastler with the same disqualification. This would leave the will without the requisite two attesting witnesses and preclude its probate.\nA provision in the will directing the employment of a certain person as attorney for the estate is generally held not to be binding. 1 Page on Wills, Bowe-Parker Revision, \u00a7 5.5. The courts have reached that result for various reasons. This court followed the great weight of authority in In re Hoxsey\u2019s Will, 67 N.M. 77, 352 P.2d 652, agreeing with the reasoning of Conlan v. Sullivan, 280 Ill.App. 332, which concluded, after an exhaustive review of the decisions, that \u201c[t]he law appears to be that a trustee or executor is not bound to employ an attorney even though the will uses such words as \u2018direct,\u2019 \u2018command\u2019 or \u2018appoint.\u2019 \u201d The authorities seem in agreement that where this rule prevails, the person named as attorney is nevertheless a 'competent attesting witness to a will, and is not disqualified on the ground of interest, since he takes nothing under the will. 2 Page on Wills, Bowe-Parker Revision, \u00a7 19.88, and cases cited. From this, we reject the assertion that Wright was an interested party as to prevent him from being a credible witness.\nThe same reasoning applies to the \u2022assertion that Wright received a \u201cbenefit\u201d under the will. The benefit which disqualifies a witness must be of a definite and \u2022legal nature. It follows that, because the \u25a0request or direction to employ Wright as 'attorney is unenforceable, the will confers upon him no benefit of a legal or definite nature, and he is accordingly not a beneficiary under the will within the meaning of' \u00a7 30-1-5, supra. Drosos v. Drosos, 251 Iowa 777, 103 N.W.2d 167; Yribar v. Fitzpatrick, 87 Idaho 366, 393 P.2d 588; In re Henderson\u2019s Will, 272 Wis. 163, 74 N.W.2d 739. We are not impressed by the reasoning of In re George\u2019s Estate, 11 Ill.App.2d 359, 137 N.E.2d 555, and the earlier Illinois decisions upon which it was based, relied upon by the contestant, and decline to follow them. See, In re Gabriel\u2019s Estate, 59 Ill.App.2d 388, 210 N.E.2d 597.\nFinding no error, the judgment appealed from should be affirmed.\nIt is so ordered.\nCHAVEZ, C. J., and WOOD, J., Court of Appeals, concur.", "type": "majority", "author": "NOBLE, Justice." } ], "attorneys": [ "Stephenson & Olmsted, Santa Fe, for appellant.", "Wright & Kastler, Raton, for appellees." ], "corrections": "", "head_matter": "428 P.2d 632\nJohnny PAVLETICH, Contestant-Appellant, v. Louis M. PAVLETICH and Mary Katherine Pavletich, Respondents-Appellees.\nNo. 8262.\nSupreme Court of New Mexico.\nJune 12, 1967.\nStephenson & Olmsted, Santa Fe, for appellant.\nWright & Kastler, Raton, for appellees." }, "file_name": "0093-01", "first_page_order": 133, "last_page_order": 135 }