For various reasons, not everyone dies has a Will that disposes of their property and identifies the person authorized to manage such distribution. In such a case, the surviving heirs should engage the services of an attorney to submit a Petition to the Surrogate’s Court in the County in which…
A recent article in the New York Times addresses the interesting question of whether a testator (a person who has made a will) can “attach strings” to a bequest (a gift by will of personal property). Wealthy philanthropists have left collections of artwork to museums and have specified conditions on…
Prevailing law in New York State favors the making of a Last Will and Testament. The person making the Will (called the testator) may leave his property to any person that he chooses. However, those who would inherit if the testator did not make a Will, known as intestacy, have…
When an estate in New York is probated in Surrogate’s Court , it is a legal requirement to submit the original signed will as part of the Court filing. On occasion, the original will intended to be submitted may be lost or destroyed. There are several potential reasons for the…
Shortly after the death of a loved one, survivors often contact us with respect to our legal representation of the estate . This post discusses the practical steps recommended for survivors. There are multiple variables to be considered, such as whether the deceased made a valid Will, whether there are…