Farrell Fritz is a full-service regional law firm with approximately 80 attorneys in five offices, dedicated to serving closely-held/privately-owned/family owned businesses, high net worth individuals and families, and nonprofit organizations.
Farrell Fritz handles legal matters in the areas of bankruptcy and restructuring; business divorce; commercial litigation; construction; corporate and finance; emerging companies and venture capital; employment law; environmental law; estate litigation; healthcare; land use and zoning; New York State Regulatory and Government Relations; not-for-profit law; real estate; tax planning and controversy; tax certiorari, and trusts and estates.
New York courts issued significant estate litigation rulings this spring, addressing undue influence claims, attorney-client privilege protections, and the admission of lost wills. These decisions clarify important procedural and substantive standards for estate practitioners navigating complex probate disputes.
with readers working within the Accounting & Consultancy industries
This spring, New York courts made key rulings on estate matters: the Appellate Division reversed a summary judgment in Gennarelli, citing triable issues of undue influence; the Catapano court denied access to attorney records, ruling the petitioner lacked authority to waive privilege and the requests were too broad; and in Goldman, the court admitted a lost will after finding sufficient evidence of validity, allowing the petitioner to serve as executor despite some financial allegations, which it deemed premature and speculative.
Estate Litigation partner, Ilene Sherwyn Cooper, shares her analysis in her article “Spring Round-Up” published in the New York Law Journal here: Spring Round-Up | Law.com
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
