Are offshore asset protection schemes fully legal? Do they actually work?

There is definitely a growing trend toward Domestic Asset Protection Trusts (DAPT). Certain states have favorable creditor / debtor laws for this....

A decedent added her initials to each page of her will after it was executed. Is this enough to have the will declared invalid?

While writing on a will after execution is considered a BAD idea, I doubt that if it went to court it would result in the will being deemed...

I am named in my former domestic partners will to receive $40,000 in his will in PA. Do I need a lawyer to get the money?

As a beneficiary, you do not NEED a lawyer. Sometimes if an estate is more complex or if you have reservations about how things are being handled...

My aunt recently passed, and left me as beneficiary on her retirement. Now, the family is looking to me to pay for funeral

If you are the beneficiary of a retirement plan (i.e., a non-probate asset passing to you by beneficiary designation) that is not an asset that is...

Trust/Probate attorney and administrator fees

The estate's representative is entitled to a commission and there are guidelines for the commission but it still has to be reasonable - the CA...

Will I owe capital gains on my condo that was gifted to me by my father?

Generally speaking one of the down sides to such a gift is you get the donor's basis (Dad's purchase price) so the gain can be larger. This is why...

Divorce Decree says I owe half of IRS debt but IRS has now granted me Innocent Spouse Relief. Can Ex take me back to court?

I believe Mr. Longman is correct. The fact that you were granted innocent-spouse relief bodes well for why you should not be responsible!

If the will was probated you are entitled to notice and a copy. Call the Surrogate's office in the county where she died. Keep in mind also that...

What formality do we need to do to protect my mother’s savings and to make sure that the estate is equally divided

It will probably be hard to prove that she was not competent at the time it was signed...however the power of attorney is likely very broad in...

I would like to know if the executor of a will must file probate.

See an attorney - typically a person in possession of a will is obligated to at least present the will and typically "heirs at law" who would take...