A new client once sat in my Manhattan office, proud that he had taken the initiative to “fund” his new living trust himself. He’d gone
A client recently came to our Manhattan office after her father passed away in his Brooklyn apartment. He didn’t own the apartment, had no will,
When a Brooklyn family loses a parent unexpectedly, the immediate grief is often interrupted by a harsh financial reality. The funeral director requires a deposit
A client recently came to our firm from his family home in Brooklyn, holding his mother’s original will. He was named the executor—the person responsible
I once had a client in Manhattan—a successful entrepreneur—who created a trust for his two children. He named his brother as trustee. His brother is
A client recently sat across from my desk, holding a thick folder of past-due mortgage notices and utility bills. Her father had died suddenly a
The first call we often get is not from someone planning ahead, but from the son or daughter left behind. They’re standing in their parent’s
An elderly mother in Manhattan stops paying her bills. A son with a traumatic brain injury is suddenly vulnerable to financial predators. These are not
A client recently came into my Manhattan office with a printout from an online legal site. “I want one of these,” he said, pointing to
A new client sat in my Manhattan office last month, recently divorced and ready to put his affairs in order. He was proud of his
When a family patriarch passes away in his Todt Hill home, his children often believe his signed will is the final word. They expect a
A client recently came to our Manhattan office after being appointed executor for his mother’s estate. He was dutifully paying the bills he knew about
A son, a beneficiary of his late mother’s estate in Brooklyn, calls our office. He’s concerned the executor—his sister—is not communicating about the sale of
A few weeks ago, a client sat in my Manhattan office with her father’s will. She knew he had been a deliberate man, but as
A client came to our Manhattan office last year with a simple wish. His daughter had just given birth to his first grandchild, and he
When it comes to executing a will, choosing the right person for the job is crucial. The role of an executor is no small feat,
A client in Brooklyn recently sat in my office and said, “Russel, I want to give my brownstone to my daughter when I’m gone. What’s
When a Manhattan family unlocks a deceased parent’s safe deposit box and pulls out a signed will, the immediate feeling is relief. They assume the
A family in Brooklyn finds their father’s will in a desk drawer. The document is perfectly clear: the house and the bank accounts are to
A client from Manhattan calls me, holding his father’s will. He’s been named the executor, so he assumes he can start calling the bank and
I once worked with the children of a man who built a beloved restaurant group in Brooklyn. He was brilliant in the kitchen and the
When a Brooklyn father passes away leaving a fully funded revocable trust, his chosen successor trustee usually wakes up the next morning with immediate, unchecked
A man sits at his kitchen table in Brooklyn, a week after his wife’s funeral. The sympathy cards are stacked high, filled with heartfelt words.
A client recently came to me after her mother passed away in Queens. She was named executor in the will, a role she accepted with
A client once came to my Manhattan office convinced he’d made the perfect choice for his children’s trustee. “My sister,” he said. “She’s family, she
When a Brooklyn family discovers their father left behind a will he purchased online and signed on his iPad, the next twelve months belong to
When a Brooklyn widow decides to downsize five years after her husband’s passing, she expects a straightforward sale. She finds a buyer, accepts an offer,
When a parent passes away in Brooklyn and leaves behind a substantial estate, the family often assumes the transfer of wealth will be immediate. You
A father in Brooklyn suffers a mild stroke and needs his eldest daughter to handle a few immediate banking tasks while he recovers. They download
Your mother named you as executor in her will. You feel the weight of that responsibility—a final act of trust she placed in you. You
