Complications May Arise From Estate Settlement Outside New York Probate

As we discuss the pros and cons of avoiding probate court that certainly does not mean you will not need the help of a probate lawyer in New York City.

As part of our ongoing series on estate settling options, we reported on our New York Probate Lawyer Blog that avoiding probate in New York is not for everyone. However, there are certain advantages to avoiding probate in New York.An article in The New York Times also tackled the issue.

Probate is the system used to determine the validity of a Will before an estate is distributed to heirs. It is a public process, and can be time consuming. Passing assets outside of probate keeps the process private.

Establishing a Living Trust in New York is the most common method of avoiding probate. A Living Trust holds assets for your use during your lifetime and then distributes them to your chosen heirs after you pass. However, such trusts only avoid probate to the extent assets are placed in the trust.

Non-trust assets must still go through the probate process. Other assets that will avoid probate include assets that have a named beneficiary such as retirement assets, life insurance, savings bonds and jointly held real estate or bank accounts. This can also cause problems — as in cases where one child is named in a joint account for the purposes of taking care of an aging parent. Money in that account will automatically pass to the surviving account holder, whether or not that was the intention.

Checking the beneficiaries on accounts and life insurance policies is an important consideration. Seeking the advice of a New York estate lawyer can be a great investment when it comes to ensuring that your affairs are in order. The peace of mind can be priceless.


New York City Probate Attorney Jules Martin Haas handles all types of probate cases, including Wills, estate planning, estate settlement, advanced directives and guardianship matters.Please call me at (212) 355-2575 for a free consultation to discuss your rights.

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