YourTrustedEstatePlanningAttorneyinNewYork
Morgan Legal Group has served New York families since 2017, with over 100 years of combined legal experience across our attorneys. We bring sustained experience in estate planning, probate, elder law, family law, and real estate.
Russel Morgan
CEO & Founder · Morgan Legal Group
Book Your Consultation Today
Choose a time that works for you. Most new clients speak with our team within 48 hours.
Prefer to talk now? Call (888) 529-1315Call Us Now
888-529-1315
Mon–Fri, 9am–6pm
Comprehensive Legal Services for New York Families
From drafting your first will to navigating complex probate proceedings, Morgan Legal Group provides the full spectrum of estate and family law services with experience and personal attention.
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Not sure what you need? Start here
Schedule a free 30-minute consultation. We'll assess your situation and recommend the right legal strategy.
Estate Planning
Comprehensive estate plans tailored to your unique family situation. We craft wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives that protect your legacy and minimize tax exposure.
Probate
Experienced navigation of New York probate. We guide executors and beneficiaries through Surrogate’s Court efficiently, minimizing delays and protecting the estate.
Wills & Trusts
Precisely drafted wills and revocable or irrevocable trusts that ensure your assets are distributed according to your wishes while avoiding unnecessary probate costs.
Elder Law & Medicaid Planning
Medicaid planning, long-term care strategies, and protection against elder financial abuse. Built for New York’s 5-year lookback.
Also handled by our team
Russel Morgan
CEO & Founder
Seasoned
NY Counsel
A Top Rated New York Estate Planning Law Firm
Russel Morgan is the principal of The Morgan Legal Group. Prior to forming his own private practice and throughout his legal career, Russel has concentrated in commercial and contract litigation, trust and estate planning, business and personal asset protection, wealth preservation and dynasty succession planning.
Russel has also assisted clients with all forms of commercial and personal transactional work, including the preparation, re-structuring and litigation of various types of contracts. His comprehensive approach ensures every client receives a strategy as unique as their circumstances.
Practice Areas
Award Winning
Top NYC Attorney
Decades
NY Estate Practice
New York State
Statewide Service
Six Reasons New York Families Choose Morgan Legal
Proven Track Record
Over 5,000 New York families have trusted us with their most important legal matters. Our success rate and client satisfaction scores speak for themselves.
Personalized Strategy
No two estates are alike. We take the time to understand your unique family dynamics, financial situation, and long-term goals before crafting your legal strategy.
Transparent Pricing
We believe in clear, upfront pricing with no hidden fees. You'll always know exactly what you're paying for and why — no surprises, no billing shock.
Citywide Presence
With offices serving all five boroughs and Long Island, we're always nearby. Video consultations also available for your convenience.
Rapid Response
Legal matters don't wait. Our team responds to all inquiries within 24 hours, and we offer same-week appointments for urgent matters.
Holistic Approach
We coordinate with your financial advisors, accountants, and other professionals to ensure your estate plan integrates seamlessly with your overall wealth strategy.
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Ready to protect your family's future? Let's start with a conversation.
What Our Clients Say About Us
4.9
312 Google Reviews
“Russel Morgan and his team handled my mother's estate with extraordinary care and professionalism. What could have been an overwhelming process was made clear and manageable at every step. I cannot recommend Morgan Legal Group highly enough to anyone navigating estate matters in New York.”
Margaret T.
Manhattan, NY
Probate & Estate Administration
“We came to Morgan Legal Group to create our first comprehensive estate plan. The team took the time to truly understand our family's needs and crafted a plan that gave us complete peace of mind. The process was thorough, transparent, and surprisingly straightforward.”
David & Susan K.
Brooklyn, NY
“After my father passed without a will, I was terrified about the probate process. Morgan Legal Group guided me through every step with patience and expertise. They saved our family significant time, money, and stress during an already difficult period.”
Robert A.
Long Island, NY
“The asset protection strategy Morgan Legal Group developed for my business has been invaluable. Russel's knowledge of New York law is exceptional, and his team's responsiveness is unlike anything I've experienced with other law firms. Truly outstanding service.”
Elena M.
Queens, NY
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Serving All of Greater New York
With offices and service areas spanning all five boroughs and Long Island, Morgan Legal Group is always close to home when you need us most.
New York City
15 Maiden Ln #905, New York, NY 10038
Our flagship Manhattan office in the heart of the Financial District, steps from the New York Supreme Court.
Brooklyn
Serving all of Kings County
Comprehensive estate planning and probate services for Brooklyn families, from Park Slope to Bay Ridge.
Long Island
Nassau & Suffolk Counties
Serving Nassau and Suffolk County residents with the same Manhattan-quality legal service.
The Bronx
Serving all of Bronx County
Dedicated legal services for Bronx families navigating estate planning and probate matters.
Queens
Serving all of Queens County
Estate planning attorneys serving Flushing, Forest Hills, Astoria, and all Queens neighborhoods.
Staten Island
Serving Richmond County
Full-service estate planning and probate representation for Staten Island families.
Head Office: 15 Maiden Lane, Suite 905
New York, NY 10038 · Financial District, Manhattan
Questions And Answers
In-depth answers on estate planning, wills, trusts, and probate in New York — the same guidance our attorneys give in consultation. Still have questions? We're here to help.
A basic Will starts in the low hundreds, a comprehensive Will for a homeowner with children runs higher, and a full Revocable Living Trust package for an individual generally ranges from $3,500 to $6,000 in New York City. The cheaper document is rarely the cheaper plan: a Will guarantees probate, and probate adds court filing fees of up to $1,250, statutory executor commissions and legal fees that commonly reach five figures.
The honest answer depends on what the plan has to survive. A single person with one bank account needs far less than a Queens homeowner with minor children and a business interest.
What matters more than the quoted fee is the backend cost. A Will does not avoid Surrogate's Court — it sends your family there, and that process typically runs twelve to eighteen months. A Trust costs more to draft and less to administer.
Probate is the Surrogate's Court proceeding that proves a Will is valid and authorises the executor to act. Having a Will does not avoid it — a Will is the instruction manual the court reads, so it guarantees probate rather than preventing it. Assets held in a properly funded trust, or passing by beneficiary designation, are what stay out of court.
When someone dies owning property, bank accounts or a business in their own name, those assets are frozen until the court appoints someone with authority over them. That appointment is what probate is for.
The widespread belief that a Will lets the family bypass the court is simply wrong, and it is the single most expensive misunderstanding we correct.
Neither is better in the abstract; they do different jobs. A Will directs who receives what and takes effect through the court after death. A Revocable Living Trust holds the assets during life, so they pass without probate, and it also covers incapacity — which a Will cannot do at all.
For most New York homeowners the practical question is not «Will or Trust» but «Will alone, or Trust with a Pour-Over Will». Real estate in this state makes court administration expensive enough that avoiding it usually pays for itself.
A Trust only works if it is funded: the deed and the accounts must actually be retitled into it. An unfunded trust is an expensive folder.
State intestacy law decides, not the family. New York's rules under the EPTL distribute the estate by fixed shares to the surviving spouse and children — and where there is no spouse or child, outward to parents, siblings and more distant relatives. Unmarried partners and stepchildren receive nothing.
The court also chooses who administers the estate, following the same order of priority. That is often not the person the family would have picked.
This is the outcome we see most often, and it is entirely avoidable with a document that takes an afternoon to sign.
The main tool in New York is an irrevocable Medicaid Asset Protection Trust, and it carries a five-year look-back: transfers made within five years of applying for institutional Medicaid can create a penalty period. Planning early is what makes the protection work; planning during a crisis leaves far fewer options.
Home care and nursing care are treated differently under New York's rules, and the difference matters for timing.
There are steps available even after a diagnosis, but they are narrower and more expensive than the ones available five years earlier.
No. A Will is one document inside a plan. A complete New York plan also covers what happens while you are alive — a Power of Attorney for finances, a Health Care Proxy for medical decisions — plus beneficiary designations and, where appropriate, a trust that keeps assets out of court.
A Will is useless the moment you need it most while living: if you suffer a stroke, no Will gives anyone authority to pay your bills or speak to your doctors.
That is why we treat incapacity documents as the foundation of a plan rather than an add-on.
Schedule Your Free Consultation
Pick a date and time that works for you — book your free consultation with a senior attorney directly below. No obligation, no pressure.
Book Your Consultation Today
Choose a time that works for you. Most new clients speak with our team within 48 hours.
Prefer to talk now? Call (888) 529-1315Secure scheduling powered by Morgan Legal Group OS. Prefer to call? 888-529-1315.
Contact Information
Free Consult
Same-Day Appointment
24/7 Response