New York estate settlement often involves many different issues and concerns. In the first instance, after a person’s death, there is a need for the appointment of an executor or administrator. The procedure which needs to be followed in the Surrogate’s Court is determined by whether a decedent had a…
The function of estate planning in New York is to provide documents which reflect the intentions of the creator. Estate planning is a broad topic which in general may encompass many types of objectives. In its purest form, an estate plan consists of a Last Will and Testament. In addition,…
The death of an individual creates many diverse issues. As discussed in numerous posts in the New York Probate Lawyer Blog, an initial determination must be made as to whether a decedent died with a Last Will and Testament or was intestate. The existence of a Will requires the commencement…
One of the primary reasons for implementing an estate plan is to afford a person the opportunity to select or nominate estate fiduciaries. When one thinks about planning an estate, the initial considerations regarding the creation of a Last Will and Testament or a Revocable Trust are the beneficial provisions…
After a person dies, it may be necessary to administer his estate. Of course, the creation of comprehensive estate planning can facilitate post-death matters. A complete estate plan may include a Last Will and Testament, Living Will, Health Care Proxy, Durable Power of Attorney, and a Living Trust. The New…
The settlement of a New York estate is comprised of a number of stages. At the outset, a determination must be made as to whether a decedent had a Last Will and Testament or died intestate. This is important since the procedures to obtain Letters Testamentary in a probate proceeding,…
It is quite common that when a Last Will and Testament is filed with the Surrogate’s Court for probate, various members of a decedent’s family view the Will provisions to be objectionable. This feeling of rejection may be based upon a perception that a decedent was somehow coerced into signing…
New York Guardianship proceedings are controlled by Article 81 of the Mental Hygiene Law (“MHL”) entitled “Proceedings for Appointment of a Guardian for Personal Needs or Property Management.” The New York Probate Lawyer Blog has published many articles concerning Guardianship. The essence of appointing a Guardian concerns a determination that…
The settlement of a New York estate can be very complex based upon a number of factors. To begin with, different rules apply where a decedent died with a Last Will and Testament as opposed to an intestate estate. In the case of a Will, the distribution of estate assets…
A typical estate plan includes a number of commonly recognized documents. First and foremost is a Last Will and Testament. As discussed in many posts in the New York Probate Lawyer Blog, a Will controls the disposition of assets held in a decedent’s name alone. Thus, assets such as joint…