In New York, the Surrogate’s Court in the county in which the decedent lived has jurisdiction over the estate. There are two types of proceedings which a Queens & NYC probate attorney can bring in New York Surrogate’s Court to handle the estate of a deceased person:
1. Probate (If the decedent had a will)
2. Administration (If the decedent died without a will
Probating wills and the Surrogate process alike can be very challenging without the help of a legal professional. If you have recently lost a loved one, you are probably confused about your legal rights and responsibilities in relation to the deceased’s estate. Our law office routinely assists clients in your situation and we are available to discuss your matter during our free consultation.
If your mother or father passed away the spouse will be the automatic heir of all the assets. In the event that the spouse is not living the children will split the inheritance equally. In the event one of the children is deceased then their children would inherit that allotted portion. In a situation like this, many legal intricacies can arise and a lawyer should be contacted
One should not put themselves in a situation where they would need to embark into the probate process in order to claim and estate. The process is tedious and costly and can be avoided by simply assigning a living trust for the estate. In the event it’s too late you can contact our office and help you understand what a probate proceeding entails and what the different costs can potentially be. The costs will vary from case to case.
Estate Planning is a strategy to distribute one’s assets after death. Usually involving a will, there are several possible legal paths of protecting one’s estate.
In New York, An estate is all property and assets owned. It includes both real property (like a home) and personal property (bank accounts, investment etc).
Estate planning allows you to make the transfer of ownership to your loved ones as easy and inexpensive as possible. With proper planning, estate taxes, court fees, and legal fees can be reduced.
While a will is not required by law. There is no reason NOT to have one. A will allows you to prepare in advance your requests and desires for the distribution of your assets.
Generally it is a good idea to hire an estate planning lawyer to assist in creating a will. There are certain legal requirements involved in creating a binding will. The larger your estate is the more important it is to properly plan in advance and spend the time considering how to structure your will.
In the state of New York there is an estate tax, additionally, there is a federal estate tax. Without properly planning, structuring, and protecting assets, the taxes and fees involved with inheritance can be significant.