Legal advice on Wills

I'm a Trust beneficiary that didn't receive assets from a Living Trust created in California. The Trustee committed Fraud and Breach of Trust, then moved to Nevada. Two Avvo lawyers commented that I just need to hire a California Attorney. So I then approached a large California Law Firm that said that since the Trustee is now in the jurisdiction of Nevada, I likely need a Nevada Attorney, and they can't help me. Truth is, I already had a California Trust Attorney send a Letter Of Demand to this Trustee in Nevada, but now 6 months latter he believes nothing will progress because the Trustee now in Nevada doesn't need to respond to a California Attorney's Letter of Demand re accounting of Trust. Its a strange scenario. Opinions Split. Does anyone know what the actual legal ground is in this case. Thanks.

I want to know if I can transfer a life estate for my house upon my death to my friend via my will (rather than a life estate deed) in the state of MA. Does the will need to be recorded in the deed office like a life estate deed?

My FIL passed recently and we're going through the will. The residual estate (to the extent it exists) goes to my MIL as surviving spouse. His will also recites about $500K in specific gifts to family, charities, etc. and directs that these also are to be given from the residual estate - but ONLY upon my MIL's death. Nearly everything he owns passes to her via beneficiary designation or via joint ownership of bank accounts, and via the specific gift to her of all of his tangibles; very little is in the residual estate. The WTE attorney who drafted the wills (now also recently deceased) was aware of this. Does my MIL need to come up with $500K and keep it separate - for the rest of her life - in order that her executor can effect these directives in his will, upon her death? Or if we learn he held a separate, solely-owned cash account with the $500K intended to be used to fund these specific gifts, it would first go to my MIL via residuary estate - would she have to protect this money (not spend it) for the rest of her life in order that her executor can effect these directives in his will, upon her death? Many thanks in advance for any thoughts y'all might have on this.

I have a probate estate issue. The judge ruled and finalized an estate and its final accounting 2 years ago. Now 2 years later, the DOJ is objecting the final accounting in theory. The DOJ is actually objecting the final accounting of a closed estate (2 years after closing) THROUGH an objection to final accounting of a current estate. The DOJ is claiming that the current estate should’ve received money from the prior estate that closed 2 years ago. The estate that closed 2 years ago owed a debt, paid the debt at the direct of the judge, and the judge signed off, thus closing that estate. Now the DOJ is saying that the debt paid in the 2 year old closed estate shouldn’t have been allowed and the money should’ve went to the new estate. The First estate closed 2 years ago and the judge agreed to the debt being paid and closed the estate accordingly. What I’m looking for is the ORS statute (similar to 116.510) that says the judge decision on closing the first estate 2 years ago is final and can not be undone.

A widow wants to sell the home that she and her husband owned as tenants by the entirety. Her spouse died many years before, and she has not remarried. Her deceased husband's name has not been removed from the deed, so public records show his name and his wife's name as owners. When she sells the property, how is she to sign a contract of sale--what language is used for "seller" in this case.

I am the only Beneficiary of a Irrevocable Trust that was created in 2013 that does not have an end date. I can only have corporate trustees & I am only allowed to remove a corporate trustee twice without going through the courts. My issue is - I do not like corporate trustees at all, they aren't really there for the benefit of the beneficiary, they have this undertone of distrust. I am now on my 4th Trust Officer because these corporations keep getting bought and sold but again, I can only remove a trustee twice and I have already done it once. Another issue is that if I wanted to move my trust to another corporate trustee, I have to have a minimum of 1million before they would even consider me and I don't. So essentially I am stuck and the corporate chain of command causes more issues than benefits. I don't feel the assets are substantial enough for this type of trust agreement any longer. Nothing has ever really been explained to me by the attorney's who created the trust or by any corporate trustee. I am looking into working with an attorney who is actually willing to help me in this regard and also understands the corporate trustee structure.

I have two brothers and two stepbrothers. My father died of brain cancer in Texas in 2012, and one month after major brain surgery was manipulated (I believe) by his wife to will everything to her, including the house he bought before their marriage. She sold the house in 2014, moved to Kentucky and purchased a property, where she died suddenly earlier this month (March 2023) . Her sons are now liquidating her possessions, presumably to sell the property which was purchased with proceeds from the property in Texas. I have evidence to demonstrate that he was not of sound mind when writing/amending his will, but being young and naive, we did not make a claim against the estate at the time. I am aware that the time has passed to do so. However, I am exploring whether we have standing to make a claim against our step-mother's estate. She has a will, I haven't seen it but doubt that we are included in it, as she had a tendency to shut us out of the family dynamic whenever possible. My relationship with her sons is not close but open enough, and I want to see if we have standing before starting the conversation with them. Thanks for your consideration.

My father had a NYS Pop-up Joint Allowance Half-op. I am the executor of his will. There is a $52,000 death benefit to be split equally between myself and 3 siblings. Who is responsible for taxes? Am I as the executor responsible or is each beneficiary responsible for their share? NYS has implied that a portion of this money is taxable. I am totally out of my depth. Any insight will be appreciated.

Came in 2018 to do what family members over her estate failed to do. Bathing and changing my great aunts diapers, cooking and 24/7 attention and companionship for 4yrs . She passed last year now the two that were supposed to be giving 24/7 care but didn't want to sell her house. If I hadn't come here they would have put her in a home and Medicare would have just took the house as upfront compensation for her care.

I want to find out if my children can assume my va mortgage should I pass away