Articles Posted in Wills & Trusts

If you have beneficiaries listed on your IRA and 401(k) plans the money in those accounts will go directly to the beneficiaries and not into probate after you die. If your spouse is a beneficiary, then the money goes directly to them as an inheritance. If the person is not a relation, the assets get…

In planning their estates. many people never consider the prospect that their survivors might sue each other over their share of the estate, but that happens more often than not when money is involved. To protect our estate from survivors fighting over a piece of the inheritance pie, here are some ways, when drafting your…

When a loved one dies, how does one go about looking for that person’s Last Will? Chances are if you are asking that question now, you probably missed the opportunity to an easy solution. We always recommend to our clients to have a family meeting to discuss estate matters when everyone is healthy. We know…

At the dawn of the digital world, something happened that most didn’t notice. Computer software that you paid money for was no longer yours. You didn’t own it, you only licensed it from the company and they had limitations as to what you could do with it. Now that concept has spread to all aspects…

A Vermont man, Nathan Carman, who was rescued at sea after going missing with his mother last year, has filed papers to represent himself in probate court to fend off a legal challenge by his aunts to declare him a killer. The legal action is an attempt by the aunts to bar him from receiving…

What happens if you become incapacitated and can’t care for yourself and pay your bills? Sure, you’ve named beneficiaries for your bank account, life insurance etc. The problem is those only take effect after you die. What about if you are still alive but incapacitated? That’s where a durable power-of- attorney comes in. When a…

In her will, Bronx widow Ellen Frey-Wouters left $300,000 to Troy and Tiger, her two cats. Her will instructed the money be used to make sure they would “never be caged” and always be lovingly cared for. The New York Post quotes Dahlia Grizzleto, a former health aide Frey-Wouters and now caretaker of the cats…

92 year old Princess Abigail Kawananakoa, known to her friends as Kekau, is Hawaiian royalty. She is a direct descendant to the throne of the Kingdom of Hawaii. She has a $200 million trust and now that trust is at the center of a legal dispute. The case pits her former attorney against her long-time…

The investigative unit of a Detroit TV station uncovered some real shenanigans by the probate public administrator who stole people’s inheritances…legally.

In New York State, probate can take from 7-9 months. While that can seem like an eternity, in Ireland it can take up to 16 months. A recent report by the life insurance company, Royal London found crippling delays in the Irish probate process which have caused financial hardships on many families. This delay can…