I once worked with a family from Queens whose father had, by all accounts, done everything right. He had a will, clearly written, that left
Imagine a Brooklyn father with three adult children. He writes a simple will leaving his entire estate to them in equal shares. Fifteen years later,
When a Manhattan patriarch names his eldest daughter to manage a $3 million family trust, he often assumes she will do the work out of
An elderly father in Brooklyn begins to miss appointments. His bills are going unpaid, and a daughter who checks in finds stacks of unopened mail
I often meet with families after a loved one has passed, will in hand, assuming the document itself is a key that unlocks and distributes
When a Manhattan couple loses a spouse, the surviving partner often assumes the transition of their shared assets will be automatic. If their primary assets—a
A client came to my Manhattan office last month with what he thought was a simple plan. He wanted to give his son, a recent
When a family in Brooklyn inherits a paid-off townhouse but absolutely zero liquid cash, the next nine to twelve months belong to Surrogate’s Court. Property
When a Manhattan family loses a parent whose only estate planning was a simple will drafted twenty years ago, the next nine to twelve months
A client recently came to our Manhattan office with what seemed like a simple request. He wanted to add his daughter to the deed of
A client sat across from me in my Manhattan office last week and asked the question I hear most often: “Just give me a number.
I often meet families after a crisis. A parent passes away in Brooklyn, and in their desk drawer, the children find a will downloaded from
A family in Brooklyn receives the first accounting from the executor of their father’s estate, and the number is a shock. They see fees for
A client often sits across from me in my office, relieved. “I’ve signed my will,” they say. “Now my family won’t have to deal with
An executor for a Brooklyn brownstone recently called my office. Her father had passed, leaving a home filled with sixty years of memories, art, and
A few years ago, a new client—the executor for his father’s estate—sat in my office, confident he had everything in order. His father, a successful
A client called our Manhattan office last week with a common question. His son, who he’d named as executor in his will ten years ago,
When a client dies without a will, their family often assumes they can simply choose someone to handle the estate. They believe that because they
A client sat in my office last month, holding a will signed by her late husband of thirty years. He had built a significant business
Several years ago, I sat with the children of a former client, a successful Manhattan business owner. He had done what he thought was right—he
A client came to our office after his father passed away in Brooklyn. A neighbor told him probate would automatically “take” ten percent of his
A few years ago, the children of a successful Manhattan real estate investor came to my office. Their father had passed away suddenly, and they
When a Brooklyn business owner prepares to sell a company they spent forty years building, the tax projections can be sobering. Between federal capital gains
When a Brooklyn father passes away leaving a signed, handwritten letter in his desk drawer directing how his brokerage accounts should be divided, his family
A certified letter arrives from a law firm you don’t recognize. Inside is a formal notice from the Manhattan Surrogate’s Court. Your uncle has passed,
A family in Brooklyn receives a stack of official-looking documents from the Surrogate’s Court. They always assumed that when their father passed, his will would
When a Queens family discovers their mother’s trust failed to shield her home from Medicaid recovery, they inevitably feel betrayed by the legal system. They
A client from Brooklyn called our firm last week. Her father had passed away, and while his finances were simple, he left behind a paid-off
I often meet with families who assume their will is the final word on their legacy. They believe that because they’ve named an executor and
I’ve sat in the sterile quiet of a hospital conference room with too many families. The doctor has just explained that a parent, a spouse,
