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THE “PRECAUTIONARY ADDENDUM,” ALTHOUGH REPEALED, STILL MAY BE APPLIED TO WILLS OF PERSONS WHO DIED BEFORE MARCH 1, 1964, TO PRECLUDE INHERITANCE BY ADOPTED CHILDREN IF THE ACT OF ADOPTION WAS DESIGNED TO CUT OFF OTHER BENEFICIARIES; HERE THE SHARES OF THE OTHER BENEFICIARIES WERE DIMINISHED BUT NOT CUT OFF BY THE INCLUSION OF THE ADOPTED CHILDREN; THEREFORE THE PRECAUTIONARY ADDENDUM DID NOT APPLY (THIRD DEPT).

The Third Department determined the statutory (former Domestic Relations Law 117) “cautionary addendum” did not apply to exclude the adopted children of the decedent’s daughter as beneficiaries of a trust. The cautionary addendum (which, although repealed, can apply to the will of a person who died before March 1, 1964) applies only where the act of adoption cuts off a remainder interest that would have existed but for the adoption. Here the adopted children merely expanded the pool of beneficiaries, which diminished the shares of the other beneficiaries, but did not cut anyone off anyone’s interest:

“[T]he precautionary addendum was . . . designed to prevent the perpetration of fraud on the rights of remaindermen through an adoption for the very purpose of cutting out a remainder” … . …

… “[T]he precautionary addendum has not precluded an adopted child’s inheritance in cases where the adoption simply has brought a child within an existing class.” That said, the reduction of a beneficiary’s respective interest is necessarily reduced when the existing class of beneficiaries is expanded— i.e., a situation to which the precautionary addendum does not apply … . Accordingly, contrary to respondents’ view, a diminished share of an interest does not mean that the interest has been cut off so as to make the precautionary addendum applicable … . Matter of Falck, 2021 NY Slip Op 07342, Third Dept 12-23-21

 

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