Resolving Problems in the Probate or Administration of a New York Estate
Call Long Island, New York Attorney Bonnie Lawston 24 Hours a Day.
Toll Free Office Number: (877) 581-8498 | (631) 425-7299.
Two Offices: Ridge, New York, and Huntington Station, New York
A large portion of our clients live out of the state, they live and serve as executors and administrators from Florida, Nevada, Wisconsin, California, Ohio, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia all over the United States.
If your loved one passed away in New York State, or if your loved one had assets based in New York and you reside in another state, then our law firm can assist you with your legal matters. Please call our toll free number at (877) 581-8498.
New York / Long Island Probate Attorney
At the Law Office of Bonnie Lawston we focus exclusively on probate, estate and trust matters. Our comprehensive understanding of how problems can occur in the probate and administration of an estate allows us to work knowledgeably with clients experiencing problems with a will, a trust, an heirship disagreement or an accounting issue, to name just a few of the many issues that can arise. Our experience in litigation gives us an advantage to advise our clients on how to avoid the common pitfalls that fiduciaries fall into and can occur if not properly avoided. We will advise our clients on how to avoid such problems before they happen to save time and expense.
If you need legal advice in order to dispute or defend a will, a trust, or some other aspect of a New York estate, contact our office to schedule a consultation with attorney Bonnie Lawston. She can provide legal advice as well as courtroom representation for estate disputes involving:
- Will or trust contests: There are a number of reasons someone might dispute the validity of a will or trust, such as:
- Incompetence of the deceased to draft or change a Will (for example, mental illness or dementia)
- Undue influence on the deceased by someone who would benefit from the will or trust, such as a caregiver or an adult child
- When forgery is suspected
- Will or trust construction problems: In this instance, the heirs or executors/trustees are asking the court to clarify ambiguity in how the will or trust was written or how it should be implemented. Improper drafting of the document may make it invalid. Examples of will construction problems include:
- The will or trust naming a trustee, executor or beneficiaries who have already died
- The will or trust fails to name an executor or trustee
- Executor or trustee challenges: In fiduciary litigation, we can challenge inappropriate actions of a trustee or executor such as misuse of power of attorney, failing to make distributions, profiting personally from administering funds, or conflicts of interest
- Removing a fiduciary: We assist heirs in protesting the appointment of a particular executor or trustee, or in seeking to remove an executor or trustee because of conflicts of interest, misconduct or incompetence
- Accounting proceedings: If an heir questions investment policies or accounting procedures used in the management of a trust or estate, we assist with accounting proceedings to examine the financial records.
- Spousal rights and kinship proceedings: These proceedings establish or clarify inheritance rights and the validity of prenuptial and ante-nuptial agreements.
- No Contest Clause in a Will. No problem: You can contest a Will without evoking that clause and your are entitled to discovery and other evidentiary procedures that will assist us to make a determination if it is appropriate to contest the Will or not. You do not have to blindly make that decision - we can get you all the information, facts and evidence you need to make the decision and to be fully informed when you do. Let us show you how.
- Claims proceedings: We represent estates when claims have been made by creditors against the assets of an estate.
- We file Spousal Right of Election cases as well. If your spouse does not leave you your share that you are entitled to under New York State law, we can begin the proceeding to force the Estate to pay you your share of what you are entitled to.
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We also deal with all kinds of trusts including: active and passive, constructive trust, insurance trust, declaration of trust, totten trusts, spendthrift, discretionary trusts, self-settled, future trusts and honorary trust and all others matters.
Contact Our New York Estate Administration Lawyer
When you need strong legal representation in estate litigation, contact the Law Office of Bonnie Lawston in Ridge and Huntington Station, New York. We specialize in helping out-of-state clients involved in estate litigation in New York state.
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