One of the primary duties of an estate Executor or Administrator is to collect estate assets. Most of the time this activity is not complicated. For example, a fiduciary may just need to close the decedent’s bank account or brokerage account and deposit the funds into the estate bank account.…
One of the statutes that is most commonly utilized by an estate executor or administrator is Surrogate’s Court Procedure Act (SCPA) Section 2103 entitled “Proceeding by fiduciary to discover property withheld or obtain information.” This provision allows the estate fiduciary to commence a proceeding in the Surrogate’s Court whereby information…
Many estates in New York have assets that include real estate. The most common situation is that a decedent owned a single or multi-family home. Very often the home was the decedent’s residence at the time of death. Additionally, other family members may have been living in the home. The…
A Will Contest in New York has been the subject of numerous articles in the New York Probate Lawyer Blog. After a petition for the probate of a Will is filed, notice of the petition must be given to the decedent’s distributees. The distributees (next of kin) have a right…
One of the most commonly utilized procedures to assist an estate Executor or Administrator to locate and obtain estate assets are the provisions provided by Surrogate’s Court Procedure Act (SCPA) 2103 and 2104. SCPA 2103 is entitled “Proceeding by fiduciary to discover property withheld or obtain information” and SCPA…
When a decedent dies his estate is subject to the process of either probate or intestate administration. It is not uncommon that in either situation there may be many issues that require estate litigation in the Surrogate’s Court. These controversies can take many forms such as Will Contests, Kinship Hearings…
There are many great reasons to create an estate plan. The New York Probate Lawyer Blog has published many posts discussing the basics of estate planning. Preparing and signing documents such as a Last Will, Living Will, Health Care Proxy, Power of Attorney and Living Trust allows a person to…
The process of administering an estate can be very complex. Estate Lawyers are familiar with the many issues and obligations that an Executor or Administrator may need to consider. As discussed in numerous posts in the New York Probate Lawyer Blog, an estate fiduciary has the obligation to find and…
Estate Planning Attorneys in New York are familiar with the creation of Last Wills and Trusts in which primary and alternate Executors and Trustees are named. One of the main advantages to creating a Will or Trust is that the creator can select the persons he wants to act as…
The Executor or Administrator of an estate owes a duty of fair dealing to all of the estate beneficiaries. A New York Estate Lawyer who represents the estate fiduciary is aware that there must be a full accounting in order to finally settle the estate affairs. In most cases, the…