When Voronel passed away in early 1991, his daughter found herself the inheritor of a foreign estate. She possessed a document that was legally binding in the USSR, but which she now needed to validate in Queens, New York, to access the funds.

– A Soviet will can be probated in the U.S., but with significant cost ($5,000–$15,000+ in legal fees, experts, translation) and delay (6–18 months). It is not advisable to rely on a Soviet will as the primary estate plan if the testator becomes a U.S. domiciliary. However, if the decedent died suddenly with only that will, it is worth pursuing with the right expert evidence.

– this remains a state law issue.

The probate of Duncan's will was significant for several reasons: