An Executor’s Guide to Administering an Estate
Estate Planning 101: The Five Most Important Clauses for Wills and Trusts
Top Ten Mistakes Executors Make and How to Avoid Them
Once you have taken the essential step in formulating your estate plan, you must name an executor of your Will. Whom should you designate for this significant role, and what is expected of them?...more
There are a number of considerations to make when deciding whether to proceed with a Will-based estate plan or a trust-based estate plan. First, as a general matter, there are two ways in which your estate can be distributed...more
Why do you need estate planning no matter where you live, but especially in California? What is estate planning? Isn’t estate planning just for people with a lot of money, property and wealth? Why should someone just...more
When conflict arises in the settling of an estate – especially a high-net-worth estate – the parties involved may look to the courts to help resolve the dispute. Litigation is one way to settle probate disputes, but it is...more
What is the Probate Process in New York? Probate is the formal legal process that gives recognition to a will and appoints the executor or personal representative who will administer the estate and distribute the...more
DURING YOUR LIFE - When preparing your estate plan, it is of utmost importance to ensure that you have documents in place so your spouse or another trusted individual can make medical and financial decisions on your...more
New amendments to the Israeli Succession Law came into effect recently. These amendments aim to alleviate the bureaucratic burden involved both in issuing probate orders or inheritance orders and in supervising estate...more
In Bean v. Bean, a dissenting co-executor sought relief from a probate court regarding whether certain assets were separate property or community property. No. 05-21-00286-CV, 2022 Tex. App. LEXIS 9058 (Tex. App.—Dallas...more
In Marshall v. Estate of Freeman, a trial court’s order admitting a will as a muniment of title forty-one years after the testator’s death was reversed. No. 03-20-00449-CV, 2022 Tex. App. LEXIS 2857 (Tex. App.—Austin April...more
When it comes to handling your loved one’s estate, the executor has a series of important duties and responsibilities. If you suspect an executor is mishandling their responsibilities or mismanaging estate assets, you can...more
In In the Estate of Johnson, an applicant to be an independent administrator appealed a court’s decision to not appoint him due to his being unsuitable. No. 02-20-00133-CV, 2021 Tex. App. LEXIS 7138 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth...more
The executor position is an important but often misunderstood role. In this webinar on estate administration, Whitney Patience O’Reilly details an executor’s duties, from locating the deceased’s will to making the final...more
The executor position is an important but often misunderstood role. In this webinar on estate administration, Whitney O’Reilly will detail an executor’s duties, from locating the deceased’s will to making the final...more
Maybe you thought that a member of your immediate family — perhaps your spouse or oldest child — would serve as the executor of your estate. Or you may have planned for a close friend to handle these duties. But the person...more
In In the Estate of Flarity, a son of the testator challenged the trial court’s probating of a 2004 will and the appointment of two of his siblings, named in that will, as executors. No. 09-19-00089-CV, 2020 Tex. App. LEXIS...more
In In re Estate of Silverman, a trial court granted a will contestant’s summary judgment and denied a handwritten document’s admission to probate as the last will of the decedent. No. 14-18-00256-CV, 2019 Tex. App. LEXIS 4579...more
In In the Estate of Hargrove, two daughters offered their mother’s last will and testament dated in 2017 for probate. No. 04-18-00355-CV, 2019 Tex. App. LEXIS 1703 (Tex. App.—San Antonio March 6, 2019, no pet. history). Their...more
Whether your spouse has just passed away or you have lost your mom or dad, the emotional trauma of losing a loved one often comes with a bewildering array of financial and legal issues demanding attention. It can be difficult...more
Probate. The word itself is enough to strike fear into the hearts of elderly individuals and their loved ones. It conjures images of lengthy delays waiting for wealth to be transferred and bitter disputes among family...more
When a last will and testament is admitted to probate, it simply means that the court is satisfied that the will is valid and has decreed the will valid to direct the distribution of a decedent’s assets. The court then...more
In Graff v. 2920 Park Grove Venture, Ltd., an executor was sued after selling estate real estate because the executor allegedly sold the property for less than fair market value. No. 05-16-01411-CV, 2018 Tex. App. LEXIS 4266...more
In In re Rittenmeyer, the mother of the decedent was the executor of his estate. No. 05-17-01378-CV2018 Tex. App. LEXIS 2812 (Tex. App.—Dallas April 19, 2018, original proceeding). ...more
The days, weeks, and months after the death of a loved one can be emotional and stressful, especially if you are named the executor of your deceased family member or friend’s estate. ...more
While most decisions rendered by the Surrogate’s Court result from an affirmative request for relief, occasionally the court will address an issue on its own motion when justice or the exercise of its inherent or statutory...more