Rule 5 Contested and Uncontested Hearings

In probate court, a hearing can be either contested or uncontested. A hearing becomes contested based on what happens under Rule 15(e), which covers written objections filed by other parties. If no one properly objects, the hearing stays uncontested.

At an uncontested hearing, the judge can stop other parties from presenting evidence against the person who filed the motion or petition. This means that if you did not formally object to something, you may not get a chance to argue against it in court.

Simply joining in with someone else's filing or saying you have "no position" on the matter does not count as a written objection. If you want to contest a hearing, you need to file an actual written objection.