estates1

Uncontested Estates

Whether your loved one passed away with or without a will, an estate proceeding should usually be routine. If a close family member has passed away, one of my responsibilities as a lawyer in Manhattan is to ease the legal process, not complicate your responsibilities at a difficult time.

Simply call for an appointment. It's best to bring with you such documents as the death certificate, the will (if there was one), a copy of funeral bills, names and addresses of family members, and a list of assets that your family member owned as well as any debts.

As a New York probate attorney, I can usually prepare the necessary papers quickly. You can

ordinarily expect that the

court will appoint the

personal representative of

the estate within weeks of

your first visit to my office.

As a NY estate planning

and probate lawyer, I'll let

you know promptly and in

detail the steps we will take.

In most cases, an

uncontested estate

proceeding in New York

will be surprisingly

quick, uncomplicated,

and relatively

inexpensive.

And I can usually

inform you of the exact

costs and fees involved,

as well as a likely

timetable, at the time of

our very first meeting.

Contested Estates

Questions often arise about whether a will is genuine or whether the testator (the person who signed it) was competent to execute a will. One need not be in perfect mental state to sign a will, but must know the

"natural objects of one's

bounty” –- the value of

one's assets and whom

he or she reasonably

wishes to leave assets to.

Sometimes it is claimed

that one signed a will

under duress or that

someone exercised undue

influence. These claims, while different from

saying the testator lacked

capacity to make a will, may

still raise similar issues, as a

fully competent person is

unlikely to be deceived by

another person when making

out a will.

We will first review the will by

comparing the signature of the testator with other documents signed by him or her. Then we review the precise circumstances of the will-signing, including who acted as witnesses, how the lawyer draftsman was chosen and by whom, and we will look carefully at the testator's medical condition.

I will promptly let you know all of the legal and factual issues and will outline the steps that I recommend that we take. You'll know exactly what to expect as the matter moves forward. You and I will, as a team, design a strategy to achieve the best possible outcome, with proper regard for costs involved.