Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in New York

Re: Right to Know the Value of Estate

Whoever has been appointed Executor of the estates is mandated to account to all beneficiaries, of every facet of the probate estate (assets that pass under the Wills). There is no requirement to account for assets that pass by operation of law (retirement accounts, joint accounts or any assets having a named beneficiary, like life insurance), although if the inclusion of these assets in a decedent's taxable estate (based on all assets, whether passing under the Will or not) generates a tax that is paid by the estate under the Will, this information might also be included in the accounting, to verify and justify the payment of the tax by the probate estate.