Surrogate James A. Foley issued a landmark decision in In re Malkin’s Estate , 132 Misc. 871 (N.Y. Surr. Ct. 1928). Key holdings:
He passed away in the early 1920s, shortly after the formation of the Soviet Union. At the time, the U.S. did not officially recognize the Soviet government, creating a "legal vacuum" for citizens of the USSR who died on American soil. The Legal Battleground: Probate in New York Surrogate James A
The first Soviet citizen’s will to undergo probate in the United States was that of , a trade delegate who died in New York in 1927. The Surrogate’s Court ruling in In re Malkin’s Estate courageously separated probate law from diplomatic recognition, affirming that even citizens of an unrecognized, hostile government could dispose of their American property by will. The case stands as a minor but revealing chapter in the legal history of U.S.-Soviet relations. Key holdings: He passed away in the early
The first will of a Soviet citizen to undergo probate in the United States belonged to the world-renowned modern dancer . Isadora Duncan Surr. Ct. 1928).
Born in San Francisco in 1877, Duncan was a pioneer of modern dance who lived an unconventional and radical life . In 1922, she married the Russian poet and subsequently acquired Soviet citizenship .