We received a call one day from two brothers complaining of their sister. Their father had a long term, prior estate plan providing for his children equally. Right before his death, the plan changed, and their father cut them down and provided a much larger portion of his estate to their sister. Around the time […]
“We don’t pay taxes, only the little people pay taxes.” Leona Helmsley This is what Leona Helmsley’s summer house keeper testified that Mrs. Helmsley had previously said, during a 1989 tax evasion trial that resulted in Mrs. Helmsley serving 19 months in jail. At trial, her own lawyer described her as a “tough bitch”. Leona […]
Prior to filing objections to the validity of a decedent’s will, we conduct a thorough investigation into the facts of the case. This requires us to examine the estate case file, the fiduciary’s records, and the decedent’s personal papers and communications. We review the drafting attorney’s work product, criticize it, and try to tear it […]
Part of a series involving practical solutions and tips for millennials to plan their Estates, as well as the consequences of failing to do the same. Part One: Who gets the dog? “Whatever one may think of treating our dogs like people- whether it is called ‘humanification,’ ‘personhood,’ or some other means of endowing dogs […]
It is important for businesses to plan ahead. It is especially true to plan for those events that are foreseeable. Whether we want to admit it or not, there will come a time when we will no longer be able to continue working. It is also true of business owners. But what happens to the […]
Can the alleged incapacitated person (AIP) refuse to comply with information requests from the court evaluator or the other parties during a guardianship proceeding? This issue arose in Matter of Aida C. 44 AD3d 110 (4th Dept 2007), where the AIP asserted that her liberty interest was at stake and she therefore could not be […]