Category: Probate

I was recently interviewed on Serene Home about how to put your estate planning affairs in order. Please read the article below.https://theserenehome.com/estate-planning-katya-sverdlov-esq-talks-to-the-serene-home/

One must be very careful when acting as an Executor of an estate or a Trustee of a Trust, exercising utmost caution and avoiding all instances of impropriety. Any appearance of self-dealing may trigger court inquiry and result in very unpleasant consequences. In a recent...

Most people want to pass down their assets in accordance with their wishes, with minimal costs, minimal delays, and minimal strife amongst the heirs. Yet there are several problems with using traditional Wills to accomplish these goals. These problems include: not having one’s wishes honored because of losing one’s Will; or having your...

Most people want to leave a legacy. Yet most people also have no idea how to go about doing it.  One simple way is through a life insurance policy. Help your immediate family. If you have a family who relies on your income, having a life insurance policy is an absolute must. There...

The Public Administrator is one of a chosen group of attorneys in one office per county who the Court often calls upon to administer to non-standard cases.The Public Administrator generally has the job of handling estates of people who die without a Will and who have no close relatives who are able to administer...

I received a call this month from a man who wanted to  receive his share of his father’s building. The property had a value of approximately $4MM. There were 5 children in total, 2 from father’s first marriage (one of whom was this client) and 3 from father’ second marriage.  The caller could not understand why,...

According to the most recent data from Credit.com, 73% of consumers had outstanding debt when they were reported as dead, with the average total balance of $62K. Debts included home loans, credit cards, auto loans, personal loans and student loans. An estate is responsible to pay the deceased person’s debts. If there is sufficient...

An Executor is the person named in the Will who ensures that deceased person’s wishes are carried out after death, that all the assets are found, that all the debts are paid and all the money is distributed according to deceased person’s wishes. Responsibilities: The duties of an executor include: finding the Will,...

If Medicaid was paid improperly, the Department of Social Services is entitled to recover all improperly paid benefits.          If Medicaid discovers that an individual was ineligible because the information provided was false, there will be 3 steps taken. First, any further medical assistance will be discontinued. Second, the case...

Google has recently made much needed updates to the options available to gain access to the deceased account. Family or estate administrators may now upload death certificates, which Google will review, to determine whether to allow someone the access. Some of the options that fiduciaries now have, include: Close the account of...