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New York uses a statutory trustee fee scheduleNY SCPA § 2309; NY SCPA § 2312 (corporate trustees)Verified May 31, 2026. The schedule sets fixed percentages based on trust value, so the cost is predictable. Family-member trustees often waive the fee entirely. Professional trustees (banks, trust companies, attorneys) typically charge between 0.5% and 1.5% of trust assets per year, with corporate fiduciaries usually applying minimum annual fees. The New York trustee compensation calculator breaks it down by trust situation.
Trust administration in New York is typically faster than probate because trusts don't require court supervision. The main floor is the creditor claim period — 7 months in New York — during which the trustee can't safely make final distributions. Simple trusts often wrap up in 6-9 months; trusts that hold business interests, real property in multiple states, or that need to file estate tax returns can take longer. See the New York trustee checklist for the full process.
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.
35 firms
Represents clients in Albany, Schenectady, Troy and surrounding areas. Wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts.
Location
5 Pine West Plaza, Suite 507Albany, NY 12205
Phone
(518) 456-0082
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
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
The second oldest law firm in Ulster County, established in 1905. Located one block from the Ulster County Courthouse. Handles wills, trusts, estates, probate, and estate administration for Hudson Valley clients.
Location
85 Main StreetKingston, NY 12402
Phone
(845) 943-2498
Established
1905
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
Solo practitioner serving Central New York from Oneida (primary office) and Utica. Estate planning, Medicaid planning, trusts, wills, probate, and Medicaid crisis planning, plus a general civil practice. Serves Oneida, Rome, Utica, Syracuse, Chittenango, New Hartford, Whitesboro, and Lowville.
Location
312 Broad StreetOneida, NY 13421
Phone
(315) 363-6800
Service Area
2 counties
Serves St. Lawrence County and northern New York with estate planning services including drafting wills and trusts and representing clients in probate and administration of estates.
Location
2 Judson StreetCanton, NY 13617
Phone
(315) 386-8544
Established
2022
Boutique elder law and estate planning firm located in Canandaigua. Focuses exclusively on estate planning, long-term care / Medicaid planning, and probate.
Location
3678 State Route 5 and 20Canandaigua, NY 14424
Phone
(585) 577-3255
Established
2022
Service Area
2 counties
Long-established Buffalo firm handling probate, estate and trust administration, and estate litigation for Western New York fiduciaries and beneficiaries. Admits wills to probate, addresses creditor claims, transfers probate and non-probate assets, and minimizes estate and trust income tax. Notable cross-border practice for U.S.-Canada estates.
Location
465 Main Street, Suite 600Buffalo, NY 14203
Phone
(716) 854-4300