The first call is free. Tell us where the estate stands right now, and we will tell you what happens next.
Getting appointed is the first step, not the hardest one. These are the four points in the administration itself where executors and administrators most often need help.
Once the court issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration, the fiduciary duties start immediately, whether or not anyone walked you through what they are.
Valid debts have to be paid in the order the law sets before anything goes to beneficiaries, and the estate can dispute a claim that is not valid.
An estate’s tax filings are the executor’s or administrator’s responsibility, separate from the deceased’s own final return.
Before the court will let an estate close, it wants an accounting of what came in, what went out, and what is left, the step most first time executors do not know exists.
Every estate we administer starts here: who you are in relation to it, and what you need help with right now.
As executor, you administer the estate under the will’s terms, but every distribution still has to wait until debts, taxes, and the accounting are settled first.
Without a will, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania each set their own order for who inherits, and administration follows that order rather than any document.
Creditors have a limited window to make a claim, and the estate can accept, negotiate, or dispute what comes in, but the order valid claims get paid in is not optional.
Every estate has to account for what it received, spent, and distributed before the court will approve closing it.
Beneficiaries in a contested or disputed estate, and family members who feel left out of what is happening, both need someone managing the estate who is not also managing the family conflict.
Some estates arrive already behind, a filing that is close to due, a creditor window that is closing, an out of state executor who has not yet engaged local counsel.
Not sure which of these fits, or whether more than one does? That is what the first call sorts out.
Book a free 15 minute callGetting appointed only starts the clock. Here is the rest of the sequence, ending on the two steps that actually close an estate.
You tell us where the estate stands right now, whether Letters have already issued, and what is worrying you. We tell you what happens next.
Creditors have to be notified and given a window to make a claim before the estate can safely pay anyone else. We handle the notice and track what comes back.
Every asset gets listed and valued, real estate, accounts, and personal property alike, so the accounting has something accurate to stand on later.
Valid debts get paid in the order the law requires, and the estate’s tax filings get made, before anything goes to beneficiaries.
The part most executors do not know exists going in: every estate has to account for what came in, what went out, and what is left, in a form the court and the beneficiaries can both check.
Once the court accepts the accounting, we distribute what is left according to the will or the state’s order, and file for the discharge that formally ends the fiduciary’s responsibility, the step that actually closes the estate, not just the return to normal life after everything is handed out.
The accounting is the step most executors do not expect. We will walk you through it before it surprises you.
We administer estates for executors and administrators in Brooklyn, Newark and Philadelphia, for New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. From the first creditor notice to the final accounting and distribution, we handle the parts of administration a court filing does not explain by itself. Just lost a parent and not sure what happens next? We wrote about the first steps here.
We handle the day to day of administration: notices, the inventory, creditor claims, and the paperwork that keeps the court satisfied.
Every estate has to account for what it received, spent, and distributed, and a rejected accounting delays closing the estate further. We prepare it so it holds up the first time.
When beneficiaries disagree about an accounting or a distribution, we work to resolve it without turning the estate into years of litigation.
Being appointed is the easy part. We are with you through the accounting and distribution, the part that actually closes the estate.
We practice in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, which matters if the person who died lived in one and owned property in another.
An executor or administrator can be held personally liable for mistakes made during administration. We work to keep you protected as well as the estate.
You will understand what the accounting says before it goes to the court or the beneficiaries, not just trust that it is right.
Call (917) 515-1825 or contact us online to get started
33 reviews
See what our clients have to say about their experience
Knowledgeable, responsive, and extremely easy to work with throughout the trust creation process. Stefan created a highly organized set of documents and walked me through everything step by step from start to finish. I would highly recommend reaching out to him if you are considering estate planning or looking for guidance on setting up a trust.
None of this takes bad luck. It is what happens when creditors, taxes, or the accounting are handled out of order.
Creditors have to be paid in the priority the law sets. An executor or administrator who pays a lower priority debt first can be personally responsible for making the higher priority creditor whole.
The estate's tax returns are the executor's or administrator's responsibility to file, and mistakes or missed filings can create personal exposure, not just a delay for the estate.
An accounting that does not reconcile, or that a beneficiary successfully objects to, can stall the estate at the very last step, after everything else was done correctly.
Distributing assets before debts, taxes, and disputes are resolved can leave the executor or administrator personally on the hook for what is owed afterward.
Each risk above is prevented by handling creditors, taxes, and the accounting in the right order, with someone experienced checking the estate's math before the court does.
Tell us where the estate stands, and we will tell you what still has to happen before it can close.
Pick a time below, or call (917) 515-1825. The first fifteen minutes are free.
A phone call, not a video meeting. It helps to know roughly where the estate stands and what stage you are at.
Need assistance with scheduling?
Click to view additional resources
Tell us where the estate stands, whether there is a will, and what you need help with right now. We will come back to you with what we would recommend.
