© 2026 SimplyTrust Software Inc.
Elder law attorneys in New York focus on the legal issues facing aging adults and their families: Medicaid planning for long-term care, drafting and updating durable powers of attorney and healthcare directives, guardianship and conservatorship proceedings, special needs trusts, and asset protection. Many also handle probate and estate planning, but elder law is the specific subset focused on care planning and benefits eligibility. See the New York healthcare proxy and financial power of attorney forms.
Federal law (and New York's implementation) imposes a 5-year lookback period for Medicaid long-term care eligibility. Any uncompensated transfers (gifts, transfers to family members, transfers to a non-Medicaid-qualified trust) within the 5 years before applying for Medicaid can trigger a penalty period during which Medicaid won't pay for nursing home care. This is the main reason Medicaid planning needs to start years before care is actually needed — and the main reason elder law attorneys exist as a distinct practice area.
Estate planning attorneys in New York average $448 per hourClio Legal Trends Report 2025Verified Jan 1, 2025 for wills and estates work. Flat-fee packages run roughly $1,344–$2,688 for a simple individual will and $4,250–$6,375 for a basic revocable trust. Online and DIY services cost $30–$300 for the same documents — see the will cost calculator for a side-by-side comparison.
New York allows estates under $50,000 to use a simplified Voluntary Administration procedure, which is a form rather than a court case and typically doesn't require an attorney. For larger estates, formal probate is involved enough that retaining counsel is usually practical — the procedural work is what they're there for. Use the New York probate calculator to estimate the costs.
In New York, the situations where retaining counsel is typically worth the cost are: blended families with children from prior relationships; ownership of a business, rental property, or significant investment assets; special-needs dependents who need a special-needs trust to preserve benefits; estates near or above the New York estate tax threshold; substantial property held in multiple states. If none of these describe your situation, the simpler online and DIY tools are often enough.
Search 3,941 estate law firms across 51 states.
Firm listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any specific firm or attorney. Contact firms directly to discuss your situation and verify their current practice areas and availability.
62 firms
Nearly six decades of combined experience in estate planning, elder law, long-term care planning, and Medicaid planning. Serves Putnam County clients in Carmel and Brewster.
Location
800 Westchester Avenue, Suite N-605Rye Brook, NY 10573
Phone
(914) 253-9255
Service Area
2 counties
Lake Success (Nassau County) practice offering estate planning, retirement-distribution planning, probate and trust administration, and elder law. Now operating as Abrams Fensterman, LLP following a merger.
Location
3 Dakota Drive, Suite 300Lake Success, NY 11042
Phone
(516) 328-2300
Established
2000
Multi-generational Waterloo firm in the Finger Lakes, serving Seneca, Ontario, Wayne, Yates, Cayuga, and Schuyler counties. Practices exclusively in estate planning, elder law, Medicaid and nursing-home planning, and probate.
Location
20 West Main StreetWaterloo, NY 13165
Phone
(315) 539-9211
Service Area
6 counties
East Setauket (Suffolk County) firm providing trusts-and-estates, elder-law, and real-estate services across Long Island and Manhattan. Handles probate and estate administration, guardianship, and Medicaid and estate planning, with additional offices in Westhampton Beach, East Hampton, and Manhattan.
Location
12 Research WayEast Setauket, NY 11733
Phone
(631) 941-3434
Established
1995
Goshen firm serving Orange and Sullivan counties with wealth-preservation, elder-law, estate-planning, business-succession, and probate and estate-administration services. Four partners named to the 2025 Upstate New York Super Lawyers list.
Location
10 Matthews StreetGoshen, NY 10924
Phone
(845) 291-0011
Service Area
2 counties
Staten Island firm with offices across the New York City metro area, handling elder law, estate planning, Medicaid planning, and probate administration. Represents families through probate and estate administration and offers free consultations.
Location
1688 Victory Blvd, Suite 201Staten Island, NY 10314
Phone
(929) 667-6554
Serves families and individuals in New York City with individually tailored estate plans. Also serves Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Location
105-19 Metropolitan AvenueForest Hills, NY 11375
Phone
(718) 544-5500
Buffalo (Erie County) firm handling complex probate matters involving real estate, stock options, retirement accounts, and closely held businesses. Serves Erie County from offices in Buffalo and Amherst; AV Preeminent rated and practicing since 1933.
Location
343 Elmwood AvenueBuffalo, NY 14222
Phone
(716) 881-3010
Established
1933
Utica firm serving Mohawk Valley and Oneida County families with estate planning, probate, and trust and estate administration. Handles wills and trusts, long-term care and Medicaid planning, and guardianships. BBB A+ accredited.
Location
2310 Genesee StreetUtica, NY 13502
Phone
(315) 724-5147
Syracuse firm focused exclusively on estate and long-term planning since 1993, serving Onondaga, Madison, Oneida, Cortland, Oswego, and Cayuga counties. Handles probate and estate administration, living trusts, wills and powers of attorney, and Medicaid and elder-law planning. Founder is a past President of the Estate Planning Council of Central New York.
Location
210 E Fayette StreetSyracuse, NY 13202
Phone
(315) 472-6511
Established
1993
Service Area
6 counties