Most people avoid talking about the probate process—how a person’s affairs are wrapped up after they pass away. However, understanding it is essential for anyone who wants to make sure their final wishes are carried out and spare their loved ones from undue stress! What [...]
Wednesday’s Wisdom: If you’ve heard the term “probate” before but aren’t sure what that *really* means, check out this article for short & simple explanation of probate: https://www.edwardjones.com/preparing-for-your-future/estate-inheritance/probate.html *While we find this article to be a helpful introduction to the concept of [...]
When she died last summer, socialite, philanthropist and horse-racing enthusiast Marylou Whitney left $17.2 million to her children, homes to 2 employees and the rest of her vast fortune to her husband. Whitney’s will, which was filed December 12th in Ballston Spa, included an admonishment to [...]
Friday’s Food for Thought- Happy New Year, all! As we start both a new year and new decade, here’s a helpful hint to bear in mind when signing & dating legal documents: Rather than simply abbreviating the year as “20”, make sure to write out [...]
Being left out of a loved one’s will can be a devastating experience, but successfully challenging, or contesting a will, is unlikely just because you don’t like its terms. Four legal challenges exist for contesting wills in New York, and each of them can be difficult to [...]
After a loved one dies, the long process of probate begins. If your loved one did not leave a will, which is known as dying intestate, you and others may be wondering how to divide the assets in the estate. On the other hand, perhaps [...]
Contesting a loved one’s will is never an easy prospect. Probate litigation is difficult for everyone involved and before questioning a will, there are some things of which New York residents should be aware. Firstly, people need to be aware that being left out of [...]
Given how common it is for Americans to divorce and remarry, you might expect inheritance laws to account for stepchildren. But they don’t—at least, not in New York. New York’s laws for intestate inheritance govern those situations in which a person dies without a will. They’re basically [...]
There are some words associated with estate planning that most individuals want to steer clear and one of those is probate. When it comes to estate planning and administration, many New York residents working on their estate plans wish they could sidestep probate. It can be costly [...]