Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in New York

Re: parent passed away without will

When a person dies without a will, the closest relatives (in your case, your mother if she is alive or any of the children if she is not) are eligible to qualify as the Administrator of the Estate. In that case, the Administrator has the duty to search for assets by going through all of the documents, etc. that he left. Certainly he must have kept his important papers somewhere in his home or at his office (if he still had one). This is where you will start to find clues as to where he did his banking and what assets he had. You may want to retain a lawyer to assist you. Most of the time, he or she would be paid on an hourly basis. No exact estimate can be given until you have had a complete review of the situation with him/her. Since no one can rely on advice from an attorney who has not been retained, before you take any further action, you should contact an attorney (either me or someone else) to discuss your matter in more detail. Only then will you be able to rely on the advice. I will be happy to assist you. However, you need to call me at 856-546-8010. Good luck! Rob Gleaner