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answered on Sep 14, 2022

Greetings:

It depends on whether the matter turns adversarial, if there are discrepancies or concerns the court might recommend it.

The test results only present a probability of kinship between 2 sisters, especially when related by only one parent. Photo comparison with grandparents and other relatives also help. How and under what circumstances DID your father recognize her as his daughter?

You don’t state what form did your dad’s recognition of your (apparent) sister take. If your dad recognized her as his legal daughter in a Last Will & Testament, she would only need to provide proof of identity. With no Will, you’d both need to go before the court for a Declaration of... View More

Since your grandmother resides in Puerto Rico, your question would be better directed to attorneys in Puerto Rico instead of New York. However, regardless of the jurisdiction, a living will does not address the disposition of property but merely the care of someone who may become incapacitated.

This is not a Family Law question and is not in New York. This should be posted in the estates catagory and in Puerto Rico.

I'm assuming that your grandfather died in Puerto Rico and that he granted his Last Will & Testament in Puerto Rico. As such, the first step would be to procure a copy of his death certificate from the Demographics Registry. With the certificate in hand, a request for certification would... View More

Puerto Rico courts have jurisdiction, since your dad left an estate in Puerto Rico. The same holds true for your mom's estate, assuming that the real estate property you write off was jointly acquired by both of your parents. Your dad's will, if you have the original, may be eligible to... View More

If the deceased left is entire estate to one person who is - I assume - a sibling, I take it to mean that the deceased died without a spouse, without descendants, and without living parents. The way you describe the proposed distribution, it seems that the deceased granted his/her Last Will &... View More

First off, unless your mother donates the property to you by way of a deed the Property Registry would still register the real estate in her name. Once she transfers the property in fee simple to you, it needs to be inscribed in your name by filing a certified copy of the donation deed and of your... View More

If your father left no will, a declaration of heirs should've been petitioned before the courts. I would highly recommend procuring an in-depth title study of that property and procure the scanned historic foils (pages) of that property, to research how it got sold. I would need to review the... View More

I'm assuming that your argument implies that said property (whether real estate or not) belonged in life to your late father; and that the sale was somehow illicit. Without additional information, it is difficult to address your question. If the property you speak of is real estate, you could... View More

Your question does not state when your uncle passed away. The answer to your question, depends upon your uncle's decease date, since a different Civil Code applies s of November 28, 2020. When a person dies without a will, the following hierarchy applies.

If your uncle died before... View More

I'm assuming that the reluctant heir does not have the money to buy out his/her siblings and/or has not made a reasonable offer to the other siblings. If that's the case, the Puerto Rico Civil Code states that no co-owner should be forced to remain in community; not even in a hereditary... View More

Assuming the declaration of heirs file is at the court house, and assuming that you are an interested party (i. e., an heir, a court-appointed, administrator, or the executor), you can go to the court’s civil secretary, where they’ll let you know whether they have the file, whether it’s at... View More

Uniform acts such as UIDDA are not self executing. As a rule, a state's legislature must adopt the act by way of local legislation. That being said, depositions from a Florida state civil case can be taken on residents in Puerto Rico. However the deposition must follow the Puerto Rico Rules of... View More

So long as the house is still in your grandmother's estate and you have proof of your hereditary claim, you can still claim the property. I'd advise procuring a title study of the property to confirm that it is still in your grandmother's name. Certificates of value and debt must... View More

Regarding your grandmother's will, upon the death of her children, her grandchildren become her legitimate heirs in their own right by representation of their parents. Thus, by leaving out three of her grandchildren without explicitly disinheriting them pursuant to the permissible causes under... View More

I'm sorry for your loss. A few questions that need to be answered, prior to addressing your question.

(1) First thing, depending on when your uncle died will determine the circumstances of succession. A new Puerto Rico Civil Code came into effect as of November 28, 2020.

(2)... View More

Having been born in NY myself, I can state that, the only ways to procure an original birth certificates for someone born there are (a) through the person him/herself, (b) through a parent, or (c) through a third party authorized by the person. I would advise that you contact an attorney who... View More

To whom did the house in Puerto Rico belong? If the house is part of your parents' estate, the answer to both questions is the same. Under the Puerto Rico Civil Code, no co-owner of an estate community can be forced to remain in said community. If a unanimous consent of heirs cannot be reached... View More