By Roman Aminov, When someone dies and leaves money or property behind, somebody has to step in, settle the debts, and pass what remains to the right people. Usually that someone is a family member or a person named in a will. But what happens when there is no will, no relatives anyone can find, […]

By Roman Aminov, When a family loses someone to another party's carelessness, the grief is heavy enough. Then comes a settlement, and with it a question almost nobody is prepared to answer. Who actually controls that money, and where does it go? In New York, the answer runs straight through the estate administrator. I've watched […]

By Roman Aminov, Few things trip up a Medicaid application in New York faster than a joint bank account. It seems harmless enough. You added your adult child to your checking account years ago, maybe for convenience, maybe so they could help pay bills if you got sick. The account carries a right of survivorship, […]