New York uses formal, court-supervised probate, which makes an attorney worthwhile for most estates in Yates County — the filing sequence, notice requirements, and accounting leave little room for error. Estates under the small-estate threshold are the usual exception.
Probate attorney fees in New York are based on reasonable compensation, billed hourly or as a flat fee. Ask a Yates County firm to quote a structure up front.
A probate attorney files the petition with the Surrogate's Court, publishes the required creditor notices, prepares the inventory and accounting, handles creditor claims and tax filings, and guides the final distribution. They represent the personal representative — not the beneficiaries — a distinction that matters if a dispute develops.
Solo PracticeWaterloo, NY
Serves 7 counties
Waterloo (Seneca County) firm practicing in the heart of the Finger Lakes for four generations, serving Seneca, Ontario, Wayne, Yates, Cayuga and Schuyler counties. Represents executors and administrators through appointment, notifying next-of-kin, applying for the estate EIN, valuing and liquidating assets, filing the court inventory and estate tax returns, negotiating with creditors, accounting to beneficiaries and distributing the estate. Also handles Medicaid and nursing-home planning, wills and trusts, and elder law; initial probate consultations are free.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder LawMedicaid Planning
- Office
- 20 West Main StreetWaterloo, NY 13165
FirmCanandaigua, NY
Serves 7 counties
Canandaigua firm representing personal representatives, executors and trustees through Ontario County Surrogate's Court administration, with a second office in Geneva. The practice handles both probate and non-probate assets, including assets held in trust, and represents beneficiaries and estate creditors. It also litigates contested estates - will contests, breach of fiduciary duty and trust disputes - on either side.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 8 more
- Office
- 51 N Main StreetCanandaigua, NY 14424
Solo PracticeCanandaigua, NY
Canandaigua practice on North Street concentrating on elder law, estate and trust planning and administration, and long-term-care and disability planning. Edward C. "Russ" Kenyon has spent over 30 years helping clients with estates, trusts, Medicaid, and long-term-care plans, and is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. The firm returned under the Kenyon & Kenyon name on March 1, 2025.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder Law
- Office
- 11 North Street, Suite 100Canandaigua, NY 14424
Rochester (Monroe County) estate planning and elder law firm, serving communities across New York for more than 60 years. Handles estate, probate, and trust administration, estate litigation, guardianships and conservatorships, Medicaid planning, and veterans benefits. Bills flat fees and does not charge for phone calls or meetings.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 4 more
- Office
- 290 Linden Oaks, Suite 200Rochester, NY 14625
FirmBath, NY
Serves 4 counties
Bath (Steuben County) firm serving the Finger Lakes and Southern Tier for over 100 years. Its wills, trusts and estates practice is planning-side — wills and trusts, health care proxies, living wills, powers of attorney, Medicaid planning and guardianships — alongside real estate and civil litigation.
PracticesEstate PlanningElder LawGuardianshipMedicaid Planning
- Office
- 7 East Steuben StreetBath, NY 14810
FirmLake Success, NY
Since 2000 · Serves 9 counties
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.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 5 more
- Office
- 3 Dakota Drive, Suite 300Lake Success, NY 11042
Firm listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any specific firm or attorney. Contact firms directly to verify their current practice areas and availability.
