People often use the “cousin” terms loosely, as if they were interchangeable.  For social purposes they are interchangeable, but legally they are decidedly NOT.  This distinction arises in two particular situations:

  1. When a person dies without a Will (which is called “intestate”) and the closest relatives are cousins.
  2. When a Will is being offered for

In this article we will review the inheritance rights of first cousins, first cousins once removed, and second cousins under New York law.

People often use the “cousin” terms loosely, as if they were interchangeable.  For family and social purposes they are interchangeable, but legally they are decidedly NOT.  This distinction arises in two particular