A family from Brooklyn recently came to my office. Their mother had passed away, leaving behind the brownstone she’d owned for 40 years. They assumed
When a Manhattan widow brings a printout of an online will into my office, the first thing I look for is the signature page. Often,
After a parent passes away in Brooklyn, the family often finds the car keys on the counter and the vehicle title in a desk drawer.
A few months ago, a client came into my Manhattan office with a stack of papers and a deep sense of frustration. His father had
When a Brooklyn family discovers their father’s beautifully bound revocable trust contains absolutely zero assets, the next nine months belong to Surrogate’s Court. The father
A family in Brooklyn finds their mother’s will tucked away in a safe deposit box. Relief washes over them—they believe her final wishes are clear
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
An executor’s work often begins with a shoebox. After a parent passes away in Manhattan, the child named as executor is left with a collection
A client once came to our Manhattan office, proud of the work he had done himself. He created a revocable living trust and, following online
A few years ago, a family from Brooklyn sat in my office, confused and frustrated. Their late father’s will was clear: he left his entire
When a Manhattan family loses a parent, the named executor often assumes authority begins the moment they locate the original will. They walk into the
A client sat across from my desk last Tuesday with a heavy binder holding a revocable living trust drafted in 2008. In the years since
I once sat with a client, the owner of a well-known restaurant in Manhattan, who believed his estate plan was complete. He had a simple
A few years ago, a woman came to our Manhattan office distraught. Her husband of nearly 40 years had passed away, and his will—drafted long
A client recently asked me about adding her son to the deed of her Brooklyn brownstone. She’d found a form online—a quitclaim deed—and thought it
I’ve seen it happen more than once. A family comes to my office with a will their parent downloaded and signed at a local bank.
When a Brooklyn family discovers their late father never signed a Last Will and Testament, the eldest son typically steps forward to manage the estate.
When a Queens family loses a father who never signed a will, the grief is quickly compounded by a harsh reality in Surrogate’s Court. If
A client’s daughter, recently named successor trustee for her father’s trust, called me last week. She was spending nearly twenty hours a week managing his
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
Three siblings inherit their parents’ Brooklyn brownstone. One wants to sell it immediately, another wants to rent it out for income, and the third wants
When a Manhattan family discovers their father left no written funeral instructions, the next week is consumed by arguments over cremation versus burial. I see
When a Staten Island homeowner dies leaving their primary residence solely in their name, the family cannot simply hand the keys to the next generation.
I recently met with a couple who had spent 40 years building a life in Manhattan. They had a successful business, a portfolio of investments,
A client recently came to my office with a thick binder and a worried look. His mother had passed, and the Richmond County Surrogate’s Court
A father in Brooklyn passes away, leaving behind a carefully drafted Last Will and Testament that divides his estate equally among his three children. The
A man passes away in his Manhattan apartment, leaving behind a clear, well-drafted will. He named his eldest daughter as the executor of his estate.
When a Brooklyn family loses a spouse or child to suicide, the emotional devastation is immediately compounded by harsh bureaucratic realities. Before the family has
A client recently called me from her apartment in Brooklyn. Her aunt had passed away nearly a year ago, leaving a will that named her
A thick envelope arrives from a law firm. Inside, you find a copy of your uncle’s will, and your name is listed next to the
