Breaching Marital Agreements at Death in New York
Seymour and his wife just couldn’t make their marriage work. So in 1957 they entered into a separation agreement. The separation agreement required Seymour in…
Who Can Object to a Will?
If you've been left out of a will, you may have rights. Certain people are allowed to contest, or object, to a will's validity, per…
How Joint Bank Accounts Work, And How Sometimes, They Don’t
Joint bank accounts make great estate planning tools, except when they don't. Whether a joint bank account is right for you depends on on a…
Kinship Proceedings in Surrogate’s Court: What They Are, How They Work, and How They’re Won
In a Kinship Proceeding, the New York Surrogate’s Court seeks to determine who is entitled to inherit from the estate of a deceased person who…
Removing the Executor: You Didn’t Hire Them, but You Can (Sometimes) Fire Them.
It isn’t uncommon for beneficiaries of a decedent’s estate to run into issues with the Executor of the estate (or “Administrator” if there is no…
What are Will Contests and Objections to Probate?
In New York, before a last will and testament is deemed a valid instrument, the general rule is that the person named executor in the…
Lost Will: “I can’t find the original Will. Help!”
When someone passes away in New York with a Will, generally, the Will must first be proven as valid to the Surrogate’s Court Judge. Proving…