Your will is meant to ensure that your final wishes are honored. However, it can sometimes be contested, potentially leading to lengthy legal battles and financial disputes among your heirs. Understanding when and why a will...more
Liam Payne’s sudden and tragic death shocked the world—but what followed should concern anyone without an estate plan. Despite a $32 million fortune, the former One Direction star left no will, leaving behind a young son, an...more
The untimely death of rapper Takeoff, a member of the Grammy-nominated hip-hop trio Migos—also consisting of rappers Quavo and Offset—left fans, family, and the music industry in shock. Born Kirshnik Khari Ball, Takeoff’s...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
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
In Estate of Long, the plaintiff sued trustees and alleged that she was the only child of the decedent and asserted a cause of action for a will contest and a cause of action for a declaratory judgment action in which she...more
We are increasingly seeing more disputes over the validity of marriages in probate litigation. A recurring fact pattern is that a romantic partner will attempt to orchestrate a marriage to the second partner, who is suffering...more
This newsletter is intended to keep readers informed about developments in probate and fiduciary litigation in Massachusetts and New York. ...more
You’ve heard the adage: Those who fail to plan, plan to fail. Never is that more true than with estate planning. When you create an estate plan, you choose exactly who gets your assets, how they get them and in what manner...more
Many California will and trust disputes arise from ambiguity in the document with respect to who is entitled to an asset. Maybe the document was hazy from the start or perhaps circumstances have changed such that the rightful...more
In Sullivan v. Hatchett, a husband executed a will giving his wife a life estate in his property. No. 07-17-00296-CV, 2019 Tex. App. LEXIS 980 (Tex. App.—Amarillo February 11, 2019, no pet. history)....more
The music world was left mourning the death of another legend recently with the passing of the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. A woman with a voice full of power and emotion, her death leaves a musical landscape with few (if...more
Education Tax Credits - There are two tax credits available to help you offset the costs of higher education: the American opportunity credit and the lifetime learning credit. Tax credits are more favorable than deductions...more