Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in New York
I was left a death benefit by my ex boyfriend who passed away. It was left to me specifically. Now my ex's family is trying to get me to give me all of it to pay for funeral arrangements and other bills. Am i legally required to take on those expenses and could they take me to court for the death benefit money?
2 Answers from Attorneys
Some facts are missing, such as were you left this by the terms of the Will or account registration? What does the Will state about how funeral and other expenses are paid? Were there other assets in the estate? Usually the Will states that the estate is responsible to pay these expenses from estate assets. If you received the death benefit outside the Will (such as by asset registration or beneficiary designation, you may have no responsibility to pay these expenses. More facts are needed for a better reply. This is a response to an Internet question and the reply is not intended to be legal advice or as creating an attorney-client rellationship.
The answer depends on how the benefit was given.