Category Archives: Wills
Top Reasons To Make A Will
Many people in Putnam County wonder if they should make a will and whether the benefits of estate planning outweigh the time and effort necessary to do so. It is important to know that making a will is not as time-consuming a process as you might think, and it is a critical one regardless… Read More »
Can I Change My Will?
People in Putnam County and Westchester County make wills at various stages in their lives. Often, when people get married or have a child, they will create a will in order to ensure that a spouse receives certain property, or to name a person to care for their child in the event of an… Read More »
Contested Wills: What You Should Know
Estate planning is extremely important for a wide variety of reasons, from ensuring that your property goes to your heirs and beneficiaries according to your wishes and making certain that your loved ones have the care they need, as well as to take care of your own finances and health care in the event… Read More »
Will New York Accept a Copy of a Will If the Original Is Missing?
A will is an important legal document that must be signed not only by the person making the will, but also at least two witnesses who can attest to its authenticity. It is critical to always keep the original, signed will in a safe location that can still be accessible by the maker’s family… Read More »
To Give or Not to Give
It’s never a good idea to give an unwanted gift, even in a will or a trust. Giving someone something that they don’t want is insensitive at best, but giving something that could actually do harm is downright careless. Yet, every year, plenty of people make the unwise choice to give large gifts to… Read More »
The Legal Mechanics of Lost Wills in New York Surrogate Courts
A lost will is a will that is known to have once existed and cannot now be located; and at the same time, it is not known to have been revoked. In short, the will is lost and cannot be found by any of the heirs of the decedent. As a result, the will… Read More »
How to Disinherit a Loved One
Estate planning is an interesting area of the law. Estate planning is a very personal need for the individuals who engage in the process. However, the legal system has reduced this really personal process to a technical exercise. This is also true for will writing and it is evident in situations where testators want… Read More »
Dos and Don’ts of Will Writing
The first step in the will writing process is submitting to the fact that it is best to write a will at all. This is especially the case for individuals who have a large amount of assets. For most people, it is better to have their property pass by a will than to have… Read More »
Probate Of A Foreign Will In New York
People who live in other states or countries and move to New York later in life may want to know whether their wills will be valid in New York. Foreign wills can be accepted and probated in New York as long as the wills meet the requirements in the state. For example, if a… Read More »
Challenging A Will Based On Testamentary Capacity
One common way in which dissatisfied family members may challenge a testator’s will is to argue that the will was written when the testator lacked testamentary capacity. If the challenge is successful, the terms of a will can be invalidated, and an earlier will may become the last will of the testator. If no… Read More »