Two of the most difficult situations that people find themselves in are the administration of a deceased loved one’s estate and an active litigation matter.   It is no surprise then that when those two stressful situations combine, the resulting conflict can result in loss of assets and the destruction of close family bonds. In order to minimize the damage that an estate or trust litigation can bring, it helps to understand how these type of matters are handled.

In New York state, litigation involved trusts and estates are handled by the Surrogate’s Court in the county where the trust or estate is situated. While there are a wide variety of actions that can be brought in the Surrogate’s Court, there are few very common actions that trusts and estates professionals see repeatedly. They include:

1. Will Contests-If a family member or another presumed beneficiary of an estate believes that a will presented to the court is either invalid or does not express the deceased individual’s actual intent, a will contest can be brought. If the challenge is based on the intent of the Testator, the person(s) contesting the will must show that the Testator either lacked capacity when they executed the will or they were unduly influenced by another party to agree to certain provisions of the will.

2. Construction Proceedings-A will or trust may be considered valid by all parties, but one or more provisions may be open to multiple interpretations. A construction proceeding is mechanism by which the Court can determine, based on evidence provided by each side, what the testator or a will or the grantor of a trust intended with regard to certain provisions in their documents.

3. Discovery and Turnover Proceedings-In some instances, property that should be in the possession of an estate or trust has to be turnover to the respective fiduciaries. If the person in possession of that property is unwilling to voluntarily turn it over to the fiduciaries, the fiduciaries or other interested parties may request a discovery and/or turnover proceeding to determine if certain assets should be distributed to the fiduciaries.

4. Contested Accountings-All fiduciaries, whether executors of an estate or trustees of a trust, have an obligation to provide their beneficiaries with a regular account of their activities.   If a beneficiary believes that the fiduciary has acted improperly, he or she may use the fiduciary’s accounting as a basis to contest certain actions that they have taken. Failure by a fiduciary to account voluntarily may lead to a mandatory accounting ordered by the court and additional relief for the beneficiaries.

5. Fiduciary removal proceeding-If the actions of a fiduciary are so egregious that the beneficiaries believe that they can no longer serve the interests of the beneficiaries, trust or estate, they may petition the court to have the fiduciary removed.   Removal is a severe form of relief that the court is reluctant to grant unless they are presented with sufficient evidence to justify relief. If a fiduciary’s actions can be justified as being within the discretion they are granted, the court will likely seek alternative solutions rather than removing them from their positions.

Avoiding the cost and stress of an estate or trust litigation is among the most important goals an estate planner has when suggested certain planning options. Unfortunately, there is no guaranteed way to avoid litigation entirely. Proper planning beforehand and quality representation if litigation does occur are key to ensure the best possible outcome in these extremely difficult situations.

For more information on estate and trust litigation, please contact info@levyestatelaw.com