If you are a trust beneficiary who believes a trustee has acted against your best interests, you may have the right to sue the trustee. To do so, you must have legal standing (i.e., a financial stake in the... Read more »
No, a will usually doesn’t override a joint tenancy deed, since a will is subject to probate, but a joint tenancy deed is not. When assets are held in joint tenancy, the... Read more »
It is impossible to definitively say what the cost of removing an executor of an estate would be, as there are many factors that could play a role in how much such... Read more »
Yes, estate accounts can be taxed under certain circumstances. If the total value of an estate exceeds the federal estate tax exemption (which is $13.99 million as of 2025), the estate may... Read more »
Yes, once all estate disputes have been resolved and debts have been paid, the executor is required to file a final accounting and a petition for final distribution with the probate court.... Read more »
There is no set rule as to how long trust records must be kept by a trustee, and the determination is usually based in part on the complexity of the issues facing... Read more »
Yes, a right of survivorship bank account can be challenged — but only if you have both standing and valid grounds. You may have standing if you have a financial stake in... Read more »
If you inherit a property with an existing mortgage through the right of survivorship — whether as a joint owner, spouse or registered domestic partner — you not only assume full ownership... Read more »
Whether you’ve been designated the beneficiary of a payable-on-death (POD) account or a transfer-on-death (TOD) account, you can generally claim the contents of the account shortly after the account holder’s death —... Read more »
A court’s decision to grant a motion for summary judgment can usually be appealed. The one caveat is that you generally will need to wait until the court has entered a final judgment to appeal. This means that if summary judgment was granted in... Read more »