New York City

Published on: March 12, 2012

Ex-Wife Contests Deceased Husband’s Will

by Stephen Bilkis

A man and wife were married and had three sons. One of the sons had a disability that required lifetime care. The couple divorced in 1985 and the man was ordered to pay support of $100 weekly. The man failed to pay support and the woman obtained a judgment for $7,000 in support arrears. The couple remarried in 1986 but divorced again in 1988. The man was ordered to pay support of $60 weekly. Again he incurred arrearages. In the second divorce decree, the man and his first wife agreed that the first wife and their disabled son will live in the house rent-free until their death.

The man married another woman with whom he had a daughter. When the man died, he left an estate comprising of an interest in a house co-owned by him and his ex-wife. His ex-wife owned the other half interest in the house. He left his entire estate to his minor child from his second marriage and appointed his second wife as executrix of his estate. His second wife succeeded in having her husband’s will admitted into probate and she was issued letters testamentary as executrix of her husband’s will.

The first wife died before the husband. In her will, she gave her disabled son a life interest in her half of the house. And when her disabled son dies, her half interest in the house will go to her two remaining sons.

Published on: March 12, 2012

Will Contest Involving Several Properties

by Stephen Bilkis

This is a will contest involving several properties. One of the parties is Mrs. A, the wife of the decedent, the others are the two named preliminary executors identified in the will, the guardian ad litem of the minor child of the decedent, and lastly Mrs. B, the other wife of the testator. Both women claiming to be the wife of the decedent contested the status of the other and it was not clear as to what decision was made by the Russian court where the dispute was filed.

A New York Probate Lawyer said the court in this case is faced on one hand by a miscellaneous proceeding and on the other by the issues surrounding the probate of the will of the decedent. In the miscellaneous proceeding, Mrs. A filed a motion to restrain the directors and officers of corporation owned by the decedent from selling the properties of the said corporation and also for the granting of limited letters of administration to her by the court. The executors who were at odds with her also moved for the authority to sell the contested property of the company. In this regard, Mrs. A filed a cross-motion asking for several relief related to the corporation as well as for the distribution of the properties as directed by the will of the decedent. In the application for the settlement of the properties of the decedent in the court, Mrs. A also contested the assignment of the executors. The preliminary executors filed a motion in this regard and moved that the objections of Mrs. A regarding their assignment be dismissed.

Oral arguments were received by the court from both parties for the miscellaneous proceedings and after deliberations, the court lifted the TRO and allowed the executors to sell one of the properties owned by the corporation and to start the process for the sale of a piece of real estate property also owned by the corporation. New York City Probate Lawyers said Mrs. A vehemently objected to the sale of the real estate property and a number of conferences were made to settle the differences between the parties. Though there was a settlement agreed upon between the parties, the same was not properly signed and the preliminary executors later on told the court that the property has a buyer and the same is ready for sale. The court gave the executors the permission to sell the contested property.

Published on: March 11, 2012

Court Rules on Will Contest Between Close Friends

by Stephen Bilkis

This is a will contest involving not relatives but unrelated parties. The case stemmed from the will submitted for probate. The will that was executed by the decedent gave a very substantial amount to an alleged very close friend. Prior to this, several wills were also executed by the decedent and each time, the share of that special friend grew bigger in the will. The decedent came from a wealthy family and inherited a lot of money and businesses together with his two brothers. The business that they inherited was managed by his brother while the decedent did not want to venture in business and just enjoyed the share that he has in the family business managed by his brother. The other brother of the decedent was an invalid and therefore could not join in the management of the business and also relied on the other brother for the management of the affairs of the said business.

While alive, the decedent found a person who became his very close friend and confidant. They lived together, toured together, lived a lavish lifestyle together all at the expense of the decedent. Several business ventures were started at the behest of the special friend using the money of the decedent but none of the said business made money. During the course of the lifetime of the decedent when they were together, the special friend controlled the affairs of the decedent and made decisions apparently with the permission of the decedent.

A New York Probate Lawyer said the special friend during this time tried to be close to the family of the decedent with the brother in particular who manages the business but to no avail. He was not able to earn the good graces of the brothers of the decedent and this disappointed him as evidenced by letters that he made to the decedent and presented to the court during the proceedings.

Published on: March 11, 2012

Court Decides Will Contest Between Siblings

by Stephen Bilkis

A 91 year old man died in a nursing home in Westchester County on December 10, 2003. He was survived by his three children: a daughter and two sons. His will provided that his real property in Suffolk County be devised to his daughter; he bequeathed the amount of $50,000 to his youngest son and lastly he bequeathed his residuary estate and personal properties to all his children in equal shares. He also provided that his bank accounts which were held jointly by the 91 year old man and his children shall form part of the estate assets and shall not pass to his surviving co-depositor.

The will was executed before the testator’s long-time lawyer and his office assistant. Both the lawyer and his office assistant were attesting witnesses to the will.

In 2004, the eldest son objected to the probate of his father’s will on the ground that the will was procured by his sister with fraud and undue influence on their father. He also testified that the letters testamentary issued to his sister be revoked as she had caused around $300,000 to be withdrawn from their father’s account and transferred to her own personal account.

Published on: March 10, 2012

Court Rules on Will involving Same Sex Marriage

by Stephen Bilkis

A man married his same-sex partner in Canada in June 2008. He then executed a last will and testament two months later on August 12, 2008. In that will, he made three bequests to his three brothers and he also made a bequest to his goddaughter. He left the residue of his estate to his same-sex partner. He named his same-sex spouse as the executor of his estate.

In December 2008, the testator died. His same-sex spouse, who was also named executor of his will filed the petition for probate of his deceased spouse’s will. He served the three brothers and the goddaughter with notice of probate. In his petition, he claimed that he is the surviving spouse of the testator and the sole distribute.

Three days after filing the petition for probate, the Surrogate’s Court of New York granted the petition for probate without issuing citations.

Published on: March 8, 2012

Petitioner Disputes Will Jurisdiction

by Stephen Bilkis

The deceased was a French national who became a citizen of the United States. She stayed in New York for thirty years. Brooklyn Probate Lawyers said that during such time, she was employed as a secretary in a law firm. She returned to France as indicated in her residence card. The deceased left assets in New York which consisted of bank and brokerage accounts. She also had real properties in France consisted of an apartment and the personal properties therein. The estate administration was granted to the persons named in the will of the deceased.

The estate litigation in this case sprung from the provisions contained in the two wills, namely, the “French will” and the “New York will” recited that the deceased elected that her will be admitted to original probate in accordance with the laws of New York. Among the dispositions included, among others, the deceased’s life interest in her apartment in France, including the personal and household effects therein. The beneficiaries were her adopted son and friends, and a “mutual aid society.”

The adopted son had a will contest, disputing the jurisdiction of the New York court to allow the will, asserting the question concerning the conflicting laws as to which must govern in the disposition of the properties of the deceased.

Published on: March 6, 2012

Decedents Claim Fraudulent Will Contest

by Stephen Bilkis

A will was written, signed, attested, to conform to the legal requirements of law on probate. The testator’s intention to give his estate to his heirs was set. The presence of competent witnesses to a Notary Public was noted.

Children of the decedent who acted as respondents moved to force the surviving spouse, the lawyer-drafter of the will and the accountant of the decedent to reproduce the original and/or photocopies of earlier wills. Original photocopies of the letters between decedent and the attorney-drafter and the unrevised photocopies of notes taken by the lawyer during two separate in-private meetings with the decedent was subject of the probate.

A New York Probate Lawyer said th decedent’s children believed that those documents controlled by decedent’s wife were material pieces of proof. Testator’s wife was unwilling to disclose the true and original wills and testament. Children alleged that the agenda of several private meetings held and organized by decedent’s wife, probate lawyers and the accounts have something to do with the fraudulent wills contested in the estate litigation courts. The party attempted to collaborate the outcome of estate proceedings in their favor.

Published on: March 3, 2012

Court Hears Case Regarding Family Dispute Over Will

by Stephen Bilkis

The appeal concerns a family dispute over the last Will and testament of the mother. The court is asked to determine whether various actions undertaken by the respondent sons in relation to the validation of the Will violated the apprehensive clause contained in the ninth paragraph of the Will. Based on the intent of the mother who made the Will, the respondents’ actions violated the apprehensive clause and therefore the respondents have forfeited their right to take under the Will. Indeed, the apprehensive clause at issue was included in the subject Will in response to deteriorating family relations, and was both in anticipation of, and a forceful attempt to prevent, the very type of conduct at issue, conduct by the respondents that would delay the validation of the will, place the Will in jeopardy and harass the petitioner.

A New York Probate Lawyer said that the mother died in 1994. Under her last will and testament, the petitioner daughter, was named as the executor of the Will and was given the bulk of the real property and personal effects, and one-half of the remaining estate. The respondents are the sons and were each given one quarter of the remaining property. The children were not always treated unequally under the Wills, of which there were several. For example, in a Will dated September 22, 1986, the children were to take essentially in equal shares. A change started to occur in the late 1980’s, after the husband died. The period saw a marked deterioration in the relationships between the siblings, and between the mother and her sons, while the bond between the mother and her daughter strengthened. These changing relationships were evidenced by, among other things a letter sent to the mother her son. In the letter, her son accused her of engaging in an elaborate scheme to isolate and alienate her from her sons. The son demanded that the mother revoke her then-latest will (which was very favorable to the daughter); reinstate a prior Will which divided the property essentially equally among the children, and stop aiding the daughter financially unless she could prove need. If his demands were met, the son promised to keep the matter within the family. However, if his demands were not met, he threatened to take immediate legal action to nullify his mother’s then-latest Will as a product of fraud and undue influence and obtain the appointment of a conservator for the mother. He also intended to publicize the matter, an act loathsome to the mother’s sense of privacy. In an undated note in the mother’s handwriting, the mother wrote that her other son had stated that the property would be in court so long that the daughter would never see any of the money. Finally, in a Will dated May 25, 1990, the mother noted that the more favorable treatment of the daughter under the Will was based on the loving care and attention she had shown both her mother and her late husband during his long illness as contrasted with the less than exemplary behavior of her sons. Further, the mother expressly stated that the Will was the product of long and careful thought and her deeply held feelings toward her children and was not in any way the product of any undue influence by her daughter.

Westchester County Probate Lawyers said that in June 1993 the mother met with a new lawyer to discuss the drafting of a new Will, the subject Will. The mother stated that her continuing desire was to leave the bulk of her property to her daughter, but that she feared that her sons would try to cause trouble for her daughter. Accordingly, the subject Will included the apprehensive clause stating that if any beneficiary under the Will in any manner, directly or indirectly, contests the Will or any of its provisions, any share or interest in the property given to the contesting beneficiary, or to such beneficiary’s issue, under the Will is revoked and shall be disposed of by adding such share or interest proportionately to the shares of the remaining beneficiaries who have not so contested the Will.

Published on: February 29, 2012

Court Decides Lengthy Will Contest Proceeding

by Stephen Bilkis

In 1970, a doctor executed a will prepared by his attorney. The original will was retained in the attorney’s files and the doctor was given a conformed copy. The attorney died in 1972 and the doctor died in 1979, at which time the original will could not be located in the attorney’s files. The proceeding to admit the lost will for validation was commenced by the will proponent. The law provides that a lost or destroyed will may be admitted for validation only if it is established that the will has not been revoked; or execution of the will is proved in the manner required for the validation of an existing will, and all of the provisions of the will are clearly and distinctly proved by each of at least 2 credible witnesses or by 1 witness and a copy or draft of the will proved to be true and complete.

At trial, the proponent submitted evidence that the doctor did not revoke the original will since it was lost while in the possession of the attorney-draftsman. The appellant submitted evidence tending to show that the doctor had revoked the will by tearing it into pieces. Two of the witnesses who attested to the original will testified with respect to due execution but neither could remember any of the substantive provisions of the will.

A New York Probate Lawyer said that regarding the third requirement of the law, the legal secretary who typed the original will testified that she recognized her initials on the first page of the conformed copy of the will that was received into evidence. She also recognized that the type was the same used by her IBM typewriter. She recalled that the original will contained many provisions and that many bequests were made to foreigners. She further testified, however, that she never read the will after she typed it and could not remember any of the provisions of the original will. No other witness testified as to the contents of the original will.

Published on: February 29, 2012

Validity of a Will Questioned

by Stephen Bilkis

A woman died in a nursing home and her will was validated in the court. The legal representative, whom she appointed, filed a petition containing an accusation of the jurisdictional fact that the woman died in her residency. It named, among others, the hospital as a beneficiary in the sum of $1,000. Waivers and consents on probate were filed, which included the waiver of a person who was designated in the petition as the sole heir of the woman.

Application has been made to the court to vacate the validation, on the ground that the woman was returned to her permanent residency at the time of her death and that the surrogate’s court did not have jurisdiction over the estate of the woman. Objections had been filed, after validation of the will, which were submitted, signed and verified by the attorney of the hospital.

A New York Probate Lawyer a formal order to defend was obtained and served to the legal representative and, to defend to the court why the decree of validation, should not be vacated. A cross-application was served by the legal representative to the hospital and its attorneys as counsel to dismiss the objections and the motion to vacate validation.