Lake Success (Nassau County) firm guiding executors, administrators, trustees and beneficiaries through New York Surrogate's Court — probate, estate and trust administration, and contested estates and objections to a will or to fiduciary conduct. Also handles estate planning, retirement-distribution planning, Medicaid and elder law. Absorbed the Berwitz & DiTata estate practice.
Probate in Queens County
Probate Court Record
Queens County Surrogate's Court
Queens County · 11th Judicial District
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Hours
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How to file probate in Queens County →
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Queens County? →Settling an estate in Queens County →
Probate Litigation Firms Serving Queens County
Brooklyn firm led by Pinni Bohm with a second office in Times Square, Manhattan. Petitions the New York City Surrogate's Courts for Letters Testamentary and Letters of Administration, advises executors and administrators on their duties, oversees distributions to beneficiaries and heirs, and negotiates with estate creditors. Also litigates will and trust contests, spousal right-of-election disputes, and fiduciary-misconduct claims.
Bronx firm on East Tremont Avenue with an appointment-only New Rochelle office, serving Bronx, Westchester, Manhattan and Queens families since 1989. Walks executors and administrators through filing the will and petition with the Surrogate's Court, getting appointed, notifying heirs, beneficiaries and creditors, collecting and valuing assets, paying debts, taxes and expenses, and distributing what remains. Also takes contested probate - will contests, undue-influence claims, disputes over asset ownership and challenges to executor authority - plus trust administration, guardianships and conservatorships, and Medicaid and special-needs planning. Consultations are free and the firm practices in Spanish.
Manhattan solo handling contested and uncontested Surrogate's Court matters across New York City and the surrounding counties: probate and intestate administration, kinship proceedings, will contests, fiduciary accountings, breach-of-fiduciary-duty claims, and estate taxes. Also drafts wills, trusts, and advance directives, and brings Article 81 guardianship proceedings.
Bay Ridge firm working the Kings County Surrogate's Court for Brooklyn executors and heirs. Handles probate of the will, notice to heirs, collection of assets, creditors' claims, estate and decedent tax returns, judicial and informal accountings, and distribution, plus administration and kinship hearings when there is no will. A three-attorney practice limited to estate planning, elder law, probate and estate litigation.
Brooklyn Heights solo whose office sits a few blocks from the Kings County Surrogate Court, handling Surrogate's Court proceedings, probate of wills and estate administration. Peter G. Gray spent five years as a Kings County prosecutor before moving to trusts and estates, and has since taken on numerous will contests and disputes where a deed, trust or transfer of assets was done in an improper manner. Initial consultations are free.
All 21 New York probate litigation firms serving Queens County →
Forms for Planning and Settling an Estate in New York
Free New York forms to plan or settle an estate: a will, trust, powers of attorney, TOD deed and the probate forms. Prepare each form for New York.
Revocable Living Trust
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
Last Will and Testament
In New York, a will is signed before 2EPTL § 3-2.1Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyEPTL § 3-2.1Verified Oct 19, 2026View source.
Tools for Planning and Settling an Estate in New York
Free calculators and checklists to plan or settle an estate in New York: will and trust costs, probate, executor pay and taxes. Run each tool for New York.
How Much Does Probate Cost?
Probate on a $500,000 estate in New York costs an estimated $35,992SCPA § 2110 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Attorney fees run 2.5%Modeled estimate under SCPA § 2110 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 4%Modeled estimate under SCPA § 2110 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate under a reasonable-compensation standard.
Who Inherits Without a Will?
Without a will in New York, a surviving spouse takes the first $50,000 plus half of the restEPTL § 4-1.1Verified Oct 21, 2026View source when a child or other descendant survives, and descendants divide what passes to them per capita at each generationEPTL § 4-1.1; EPTL § 1-2.16Verified Oct 21, 2026View source.
What Are the Creditor Claim Deadlines?
In New York, the 7 monthsSCPA § 1802Verified Sep 8, 2026View source period after the personal representative's appointment protects a representative who distributes after it; late claims can still reach undistributed assets.
How Do I Settle an Estate?
Settling an estate in New York: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 270 days22 NYCRR 207.20Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 7 monthsSCPA 1802, 1803, 1810, 1811; EPTL 11-1.5Verified Oct 19, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 7 months to 9 months.
How Much Can an Executor Charge?
New York sets executor compensation by statute — about $19,000 on a $500,000 estate, roughly 3.8%SCPA § 2307Verified Sep 8, 2026View source.
