intestacy
Inheritance Rights of Cousins in New York
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…
Estates Within Estates
What happens if someone involved in an Estate is dead? These situations are very common. A few standard approaches apply….let’s look at a few situations:
The most important distinction to know is that PRE-deceased situations are very different than POST-deceased situations. When I refer to “PRE” and “POST” I am talking about when the person…
Who Should REALLY Make a Will? (you might be surprised)
Who REALLY ought to make a Will?
If you are considering whether you need to or not, the answer to this question starts with a question…..
“Who would inherit from you if you did not make a Will?”
When I interview someone who is considering making a Will, the first issue I explore is THAT. …
Basic New York Intestacy – Who Inherits When There is No Will
What happens when a person dies without a Will? Contrary to popular misconception, their assets do NOT “go to the State”. When there is no will, and a person dies, the laws of intestacy apply. All States have such laws, essentially a logical order with the closest relatives inheriting. In New York, it goes like…