Straight answers to the questions people actually ask

The initial telephone consultation is free and confidential. For most people that call settles the important things: whether there is a problem that needs a lawyer, whether a deadline is already running, and what the sensible next step is.

An in-person meeting is a different matter. Face-to-face consultations at either office can be arranged, but they are by special arrangement and they are not free. If you would like to meet in person, say so when you call and the firm will tell you the fee before anything is scheduled.

If the firm goes on to take the matter, fees are discussed with you beforehand and set out in a written engagement agreement before any work begins.

No. Calling, emailing or submitting a form on this website does not create an attorney–client relationship. That relationship begins only when the firm and the client sign a written engagement agreement. Until then, please do not send confidential or sensitive documents.

It depends on the work. Document-based estate planning is frequently handled on a flat fee so the client knows the cost before starting. Litigation, foreclosure defense and contested Surrogate’s Court matters are generally hourly, because neither the firm nor the client controls how the other side behaves. Whatever the arrangement, it is put in writing before work begins, and you should ask about costs and disbursements — court filing fees, recording fees, title searches, appraisals — which are separate from the legal fee.

Primarily Suffolk and Nassau counties, and depending on the matter, Queens, Kings and the surrounding New York City area. Surrogate’s Court matters are most often in Riverhead for Suffolk County and Mineola for Nassau County; foreclosures are brought in the Supreme Court of the county where the property sits.

Often, yes. Telephone and video consultations are available where appropriate. Some steps — the execution of a will, in particular — have formal requirements that affect how and where signing happens, and the firm will explain what has to be done in person for your specific documents.

Any court papers or official notices with their envelopes, the recorded deed to any real property involved, recent mortgage and tax statements, any existing will, trust, power of attorney or health care proxy, a list of accounts and how each is titled, beneficiary designation forms, and a written list of your questions. Bring what exists; gaps are normal and often fixable.

Document-based estate planning is usually a matter of weeks from first meeting to signing and funding. Probate and estate administration typically run many months and sometimes longer, driven by court schedules, tax filings, creditor periods and how cooperative the parties are. Contested matters take longer still. The firm will give you a realistic range for your situation rather than a marketing number.

Yes, and call rather than emailing. A short conversation can establish whether the deadline is what you think it is, whether it can be extended, and what has to happen first. Deadlines that have already passed are sometimes still addressable, so a passed date is a reason to call sooner, not to give up.

Not currently. Earlier versions of this website listed a much broader range of services. The firm now concentrates on estate planning, elder law and Medicaid, probate and estate litigation, foreclosure and reverse mortgages, bankruptcy and debt, real estate, and business succession. If you call about something outside that list, you will get a straight answer and, where possible, a direction to look in.

Gladly, with your authorization. Legal structure and tax advice have to describe the same transaction, and they frequently do not when the professionals never speak. Tax computation stays with your accountant; the firm’s job is to make sure the documents do what the tax plan assumes.

Information shared in a consultation for the purpose of seeking legal advice is generally treated as confidential under the rules governing attorneys, whether or not you go on to retain the firm. That said, do not send documents through the website form before an engagement is in place — the form is not a secure channel.

Say so when you call. The rules governing attorneys limit contact with a person who is represented by counsel in the same matter. You are entitled to change counsel or seek a second opinion, but the firm needs to know the situation before discussing substance.