Real estate, bank accounts, stocks, bonds and collectibles are examples of the wide array of property which we accumulate as we go through life. A will is little more than a formalized set of written instructions as to what is to be done with our possessions after we die. The law wants to see property distributed in the way its owner wished and will accommodate those wishes whenever possible. Continue Reading What is a Will?

In the Matter of Remedios BALLESTEROS, a/k/a Remy Balesteros deceased, New York State’s Appellate Division directed the administrator of the estate to complete the sale of the decedent’s real property pursuant to a contract entered into by the executrix Continue Reading Real Estate Contract enforceable against Estate

The New York State Unified Court System maintains an extremely useful website where information can be accessed about a variety of legal topics. Court calendars and decisions may be accessed and also there is a complete library of official forms which are especially useful to practice in the Surrogate’s Court which is chiefly concerned with estate practice.

New York attorneys are encouraged to attach a “living” or self-executing affidavit to the wills they draft and supervise. This is a sworn statement by the witnesses to the will, attesting to the competence of the maker of the will, and that the will was signed in the presence of both witnesses and under the supervision of the attorney. Continue Reading Self-executing Affidavits