Russel Morgan, Esq.

New York is one of the most demanding probate jurisdictions in the country. A simple oversight in a will — a missing self-proving affidavit, a witness who has moved out of state, or an ambiguous residuary clause — can turn a six-month probate into a three-year contest. A Medicaid plan executed two months too late costs a family the family home.

Russel's estate-planning practice exists to prevent those outcomes. Every engagement starts with a structured family and asset interview, followed by a written plan that lists, in plain English, exactly what each document does and what it does not do.

Russel personally drafts and reviews every document, supported by Morgan Legal Group's associate team for execution and follow-through. The core menu includes Last Wills and Testaments executed under New York EPTL § 3-2.1 (with self-proving affidavits under SCPA § 1406), revocable living trusts (often paired with a pour-over will), Medicaid asset-protection trusts (MAPTs) with the 60-month look-back planned around, special-needs trusts under EPTL Article 7, durable powers of attorney on the New York statutory short form (GOL § 5-1501B), and health-care proxies under Public Health Law Article 29-C.

Most estate plans take two visits: the first to gather family, asset, and beneficiary information and to discuss your goals; the second to review final documents and execute under attorney supervision. Russel reviews every document before signing. Documents are stored securely with originals returned to the client and digital copies retained by the firm for life.