New York, NY (PressExposure) October 21, 2010 -- A new website http://newyorkwill.org has been launched to offer visitors a detailed explanation on wills, estates and probate in the state of New York. Submitting a Will to probate and administering a decedent's estate are very time consuming and technical legal matters.
When a loved one dies, the family is thrown into the often complex and chaotic probate and estate process. Suddenly, they need to deal with funeral directors, banks, lawyers and reluctantly, the probate court. The process can be very daunting. Even the simplest of estates can turn into a myriad of problems.
"Administering an estate is an important task. Unfortunately, the rules, processes, organizations and even the terminology change with the jurisdiction. Newyorkwill.org provides information on wills and probate exclusively in the state of New York" says Luke Bryant, founder of the website.
The first step for an executor is to arrange to have the decedent's Last Will and Testament admitted to probate. This means the court needs to approve the document as a valid New York Last Will and Testament which complies with all necessary legal requirements. In New York, probate matters are heard by the surrogate's court (it is not called the probate court like in most other states).
The executor's role is to be impartial and to represent the estate. He/she is not there to represent any particular beneficiary. What happens if one of the beneficiaries contests the Will? What if the Will is lost or destroyed? Who pays the estate tax? What if the executor no longer wishes to act?
Newyorkwill.org provides a place for executors, beneficiaries and even omitted heirs to start researching their options. It deals with common situations which arise in estate matters and points the visitor to the particular sections of the legislation. It also provides further resources where the visitor can find more information.
If you are an executor or beneficiary of a Will in New York, you can use newyorkwill.org to start researching your rights and responsibilities.