This statewide resource is published by Morgan Legal Group, the New York estate planning and probate practice founded and led by attorney Russel Morgan, Esq. The firm concentrates on the Estate, Powers and Trusts Law (EPTL) and the Surrogate’s Court Procedure Act (SCPA) — the two statutes that govern every New York estate — and serves clients across New York’s 62 county Surrogate’s Courts. Everything on this site is written to reflect actual New York law, not generic national content.
Attorney Russel Morgan, Esq.
Russel Morgan is a New York-licensed attorney and the founder of Morgan Legal Group. His practice is devoted to estate planning, probate, and estate administration under New York law — drafting wills and trusts, preparing powers of attorney and health care proxies, guiding executors through probate, and representing parties in contested estates.
Because New York estate work is county-specific, his practice spans the downstate Surrogate’s Courts (New York, Kings, Queens, Bronx, Richmond), the Long Island courts (Nassau and Suffolk), and counties throughout the state — each with its own filing realities under the same statewide EPTL and SCPA.
Our approach to New York estate planning
Morgan Legal Group’s philosophy is built around a single New York reality: the right plan depends on your county and your assets. A Manhattan co-op owner, a Brooklyn brownstone family, and a Long Island homeowner each face different title-transfer and estate-tax realities, even though the same EPTL and SCPA apply to all of them. We start from where you live and what you own, then build the plan — rather than handing every client the same template.
We also believe estate planning should keep families out of court where possible. A funded revocable trust, coordinated beneficiary designations, and solid incapacity documents can spare your family the cost and delay of a county Surrogate’s Court proceeding entirely.
Why trust this information
This site exists to be a genuinely useful, accurate New York estate resource — the kind a person can rely on before they ever pick up the phone. Our standards:
- New York-specific. Every page cites the controlling EPTL or SCPA provision and explains it in plain English. We do not publish generic, state-agnostic content.
- Accurate or omitted. Where a figure changes annually (the estate-tax exemption, fee schedules), we flag it as year-dependent and tell you to verify the current number rather than stating a stale one.
- Court-grounded. We explain the real, county-based Surrogate’s Court system as it actually works under SCPA 205-206.
Editorial standard
Content on this site is prepared and reviewed by a New York-licensed attorney. It is legal information, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. For advice on your specific situation, speak with an attorney directly.
Service area
Morgan Legal Group serves clients across New York State, working with the Surrogate’s Court of each client’s county of domicile — the court that, under SCPA 205-206, has jurisdiction over their estate. For the statewide picture, see our New York State estate guide.
Entity references
Morgan Legal Group maintains a consistent professional presence so that clients — and the search and AI systems they use — can confirm we are a single, real New York firm. Our primary firm presence is at morganlegalny.com, with additional profiles on Google Business and recognized legal directories.
Speak with us
To discuss your New York estate plan or an estate you’re administering, book a free 30-minute consultation with Russel Morgan. You can also reach us through our contact page.
Have a question about your estate?
Talk it through with Russel Morgan — free 30-minute consult.