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Wills and Probate Services

Will And Probate Services Help Plan Your Estate

Estate planning begins with a last will and testament. You don't want to leave your family with a confusing and incomplete estate plan and you don't want to leave your children subject to a judge-appointed caretaker. Proper estate planning is essential, and there are many wills and probate services that can help you. A New York City wills and probate lawyer can advise you on your options.

Planning a New York estate requires time and effort to understand the nature and value of a person's assets.  These assets may take many forms.  Some funds or real estate may be owned jointly with another person such as a spouse.  In certain cases bank accounts may be owned individually but have a person named on the account as a designated beneficiary.  These accounts are commonly known as "Totten Trusts".  Upon death, the bank funds are paid directly to the beneficiary.  There are also assets that may have a designated beneficiary such as life insurance and retirement funds such as an individual retirement account or 401K plan.  The important point to recognize for planning is that a Last Will is going to control the disposition of items that are held in the name of the decedent alone.  Jointly owned funds or real estate or items such as insurance that have a specific beneficiary will pass directly to such named person and will generally not be subject to the terms of a Last Will.  The creation of an effective plan must take into account the nature of these items to be effective since the named beneficiaries, if any, may vary from asset to asset.

Upon the death of a loved one, a wills and probate lawyer in New York City can help you navigate the wills and probate process and determine which services are best for you. I can guide you through the duties of an executor, help you with legal notices, claims against the estate, and the transfer of the property to  beneficiaries. I have helped many clients with will and probate services.

For example, in order to probate a Will typically the named executor prepares a probate petition to be filed in the Surrogate's Court in the county where the decedent resided. If the decedent lived primarily in Queens County, then the Will is to be probated in the Queens Surrogate's Court. The petition must contain essential items such as information regarding the decedent, the Last Will including the names of the witnesses, the estimated estate value and the names and addresses of the decedent's next of kin and the beneficiaries named in the Will.  Additional information may also be required.  I work with clients to prepare the probate petition and all other papers required by the Court in the probate process such as Citations, Notices of Probate and Affidavits of Kinship.  It is important for the Court to have information regarding the decedent's next of kin ("distributees") because these persons have a right to receive notice of the probate proceeding even if they are not named in the Will.  Distributees may contest the Will if they feel that there is a basis to invalidate it due to undue influence, lack of testamentary capacity or improper execution.  A Will contest can be a very complex proceeding and the assistance of a good wills and probate attorney in New York City can assist with these types of court proceedings.

After graduating in the top 10% of my class at The New England School of Law in Boston I went on to open my own law office in 1985. I provide my clients with personal representation and work with them towards successfully resolving the issues and matters they are involved with.

For personalized attentive service and a free case evaluation with a New York City wills and probate attorney, you can contact me by telephone: (212) 355-2575, fax: (212) 751-5911 or e-mail

Client Reviews
★★★★★
I am very grateful to Mr. Jules Martin Haas attorney of law in New York. I am from Buenos Aires Argentina. He managed with expertise a very difficult situation. of a complicate heritage from my aunt Anna Grodzka that lived and died a very long time ago in New York. I recommend him not only for his extraordinary knowledge but also for his kindness. Irma CW Peusner
★★★★★
I found Mr. Haas after being misguided by a former attorney. Mr. Jules Haas took our case which involved an estate/trust dispute. What initially seemed like an impossible and overwhelming legal fight was now in the hands of someone who had the integrity and legal expertise to win our case. Mr Haas' attention to detail and his expert knowledge base, skillfully and successfully guided us through an intricate legal process. I am very thankful and grateful to Mr. Jules Haas for representing our interest and ultimately winning. Bringing about a peace of mind we needed. Thank You Devida Nedd
★★★★★
I was in need of a guardianship attorney and I hired the services of Jules M. Haas' Law firm. The service of counselor Haas and his staff, was very profesional and the case was handled in a timely matter. I would strongly recommend his services Angel Guevara
★★★★★
I strongly recommend Jules Haas. I have worked with him for two years and he has provided so much support and followed through with everything he promised he would do. His support staff is just as helpful! We had an interesting case and he helped to solve each part of it legally and was very thorough. Thank you for everything you have done to finalize our families estate Robyn Stafford
★★★★★
Jules Haas helped me with managing the process in probate court for my father's estate through to its completion upon the sale of my father's house. He was knowledgeable, efficient, and effective in submitting documentation to the probate court, explaining procedures to me, and advising me as to the progress of my case. His support staff was also very helpful. He made what for me created so much anxiety into something manageable where I could see progress every step of the way. His fees were very reasonable. I am super grateful to him for all the help he has provided and strongly recommend his services. Diana Janer
★★★★★
I just completed an estate transaction where Jules Haas represented my client in an estate and he did a great job! He was very quick at responding to all matters throughout the sale process, he was detailed, he was knowledgeable and he was a pleasure to work with. I just recommended him to some new clients who are going through an estate matter and will continue to recommend him. Rodolfo Lucchese