Suppose you have a loved one who has passed, and all of a sudden there is a brand-new last will and testament that either greatly reduces your share or leaves you out completely. What do you do? A Common Scenario for Contesting a Last Will and Testament Here’s an example of a common situation. As…
When you consider contesting a last will and testament, you might also have to consider contesting changes to certain additional assets—for example, an account that has had a change in beneficiary designation or a change to joint account status. A Common Scenario for Contesting a Last Will and Testament and Beneficiary Change Let’s go back…
What happens if I can’t find my dad’s original last will and testament? Can I use a photocopy of his last will and testament? There are problems in using a copy of a last will and testament. Prior to about ten years ago, the answer was you could not submit a photocopy of one’s last…
Sometimes a proposed beneficiary distribution needs to be corrected after the death of a loved one. Example 1: Grandchildren Born After the Will Was Signed One common circumstance is when a grandparent’s last will and testament clearly indicates that all of her grandchildren will inherit an equal share. She names all of the grandchildren who…
The Maryland inheritance tax is what I like to call the “sneaky death tax.” For many families, the imposition of the federal estate tax and the Maryland estate tax is not a practical concern, since these taxes only apply to multi-million-dollar estates. However, the Maryland inheritance tax is a 10% tax on all distributions to…
Creditors are one of the more complicated parts of the Maryland probate process. One of the core functions of a personal representative is to determine if there are creditors for the estate. Making a mistake regarding creditors is one of the few ways that a personal representative can be held personally responsible for a mistake…
At its core, the Maryland probate process is the court-required system designed to account for a deceased person’s assets, identify their creditors, and approve the distribution to estate beneficiaries. For many families, this process can be overwhelming, and many people do not even know where to start. Here is a brief summary to guide you…
We had another will contest win. Our client was gracious enough to send us a card expressing her thanks. This is what she had to say: “Thank all of you for the way you handled our case. You guys are wonderful. Along with being very professional, you showed us such compassion. You guys went over…