A few years ago, a client’s son came to our office. His mother, living in a Brooklyn nursing home, had given him a durable power
A Manhattan business owner passes away unexpectedly. He had a simple will from twenty years ago, but his business has since grown tenfold and now
I often meet with families who believe a simple will is all the protection they need. They’ve downloaded a form, filled in the blanks, and
A family from Brooklyn calls our office. Their mother recently passed away, and her will clearly names her son as the executor. The New York
I often have clients come into my office and ask, “How much for a simple will?” It’s a fair question, but the word “simple” rarely
A couple I worked with years ago owned a home in Nassau County that had been in their family since the 1950s. They also had
A family in Todt Hill loses its patriarch, a successful small business owner. His will seems clear, naming his wife as the executor and heir.
Your brother named you successor trustee for his children’s trust. You were honored. But as you step into the role, you realize the responsibility is
When a prominent figure passes away in Manhattan with an outdated estate plan, the details leak to the tabloids within days. We read about estranged
A call comes from a hospital in Manhattan. A client has had a stroke and is unable to communicate. The family is gathered, but the
A client called me last week. She had just learned that her late aunt, who lived her whole life in a small house in Queens,
When a client comes to my office to settle a parent’s estate, one of the first things we do is take inventory. Often, the largest
A client of ours, a successful architect in Manhattan, wanted to leave a significant portion of her estate to her two young children. She knew
I recently sat with a client, a single mother from Brooklyn with a thriving business and a seven-year-old son. As we planned her estate, she
A client came to our office not long ago with a common and admirable goal. He wanted to set up a trust for his two
I recently met with a family whose patriarch, a successful Manhattan business owner, had passed away. His children brought me the will he had signed
A client recently came into my Manhattan office with a straightforward question. He wanted to name his three adult children as co-executors of his will.
A client called me from California last month. Her mother, a lifelong resident of Brooklyn, had passed away, leaving her a small parcel of land
When a Brooklyn father passes away and leaves his multi-family property in a trust, the eldest sibling named as trustee often expects a brief, straightforward
When a father in Brooklyn passes away unexpectedly without signing a will, his family inherits an immediate logistical crisis. The bank freezes his personal accounts.
A client sat in my office last week with a fear I’ve heard from many parents in my career. “Russel,” he said, “I’ve spent 40
A client came to my Manhattan office with a question that gets to the heart of what a legacy means. He had three adult children.
I often meet families in the months after a parent has passed away. They come to my office with a will, believing it is the
I once worked with a couple from Brooklyn who did what they thought was the right thing. They named each other as the primary beneficiary
I recently met with a couple who own a successful restaurant in Brooklyn. For twenty years, they’ve poured everything into it. When one of them
An elderly parent in Brooklyn suddenly has a new “best friend.” You notice they’re making unusual financial decisions—large withdrawals, changes to account beneficiaries—at the urging
I often meet with families in the weeks after a parent has passed. The grief is raw, and the confusion is palpable. In a recent
A client from Queens came to my office last week with a problem I see far too often. Years ago, her mother—wishing to simplify her
A client sat in my Manhattan office a few years ago, describing a painful situation. His father had recently passed away after a happy, decade-long
A few years ago, a new client came to our office in distress. Her father, a successful small business owner in Brooklyn, had passed away.
