My wife's sister recently past. My wife is the only surviving family member and is the administrator of the estate.
The company managing the IRA account was contacted and asked to provide the beneficiaries, if any. It was found to have a beneficiary. It is a former friend that the sister hadn't spoken to, nor had any relationship with, in over 20 years. Plus another individual my wife had never heard of. The sister had worked with one of the two we knew. Both individuals were fellow employees/friends of the sister at a bank that has long been out of business.

The sister never changed the beneficiary in spite of living with her boyfriend of 15 years. The boyfriend never knew of her assets till after she had past. Common law does not trump blood-relative in NJ. We want to right some wrongs here because the two struggled paycheck to paycheck. We want to see much of this money go to the boyfriend. The IRA is valued in the low five figures.

My question is: What obstacles lie in the path of the contesting and ultimately, the striking of said beneficiaries from this IRA?

Thank you in advance to all that are kind to provide professional guidance on this matter.
My question involves estate proceedings in the state of: New Jersey