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16 Dec, 2024 by Global electronic
“I had a very disappointing experience with Lawyer’s Brian (Baruch) Y. Greenwald.
Gabriel Goldenberg
Associate Attorney while they were representing both parties in drafting an agreement. I trusted them to act fairly and honestly, but unfortunately, that was not the case.
It was evident that their actions were not neutral, which is especially concerning given their role as a mediator in this process. This lack of integrity and professionalism caused significant stress and complications. I would not recommend Brian (Baruch) Y. Greenwald to anyone who is looking for an impartial and trustworthy attorney.”
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12 Mar, 2023 by Raizelm
28 Jun, 2021 by Sidney markowitz
Nice people great service
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04 Oct, 2024 by Joanne carrasquillo
I met Nicole Donnelly back in September 2021 when my mom and I had our first consultation with her. Not only was Nicole bilingual which was a huge blessing, but she was so thoughtful and patient as mom and I had a million questions to ask. She has remained my attorney after the loss of my mom and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
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16 Sep, 2024 by Ricardo de albuquerque
Our attorney, Gladys, is very competent, efficient, and gives practical advice. Highly recommend
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08 Aug, 2024 by Shaka ben david
14 Oct, 2024 by Anonymous
Rashidah may be a fine lawyer if nothing goes awry during your closing process. She seems to do an extraordinary volume of closings, based on how often she or her office tells you she is unavailable due to being tied up in a closing. But if something goes awry during your process of buying a home, seek legal advice elsewhere, because she either has little to offer, or lacks the interest in imparting it. In my experience, as a first time buyer where many things did go awry, her advice to my legal questions was typically: (long pause, after offering no advice) …let me know what you want to do. In my experience, she did woefully little due diligence, ignored many red flags, and told me those worrisome red flags were typical and would be fine (hint: they weren’t). I had the misfortune of having a delayed closing that coincided with the holiday season, during which she disappeared without letting me know when she might be back. E-mailing your lawyer in the middle of a deal to get generic out of office replies with no idea of when they would be back, with the clock ticking, added an enormous amount of stress to an already enormously stressful process. Perhaps the timing was wrong, perhaps the majority of deals go off without a hitch. But you don’t know how things will play out going into a sale, so why take the chance? Stay away.
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02 Apr, 2020 by Anonymous
Rashidah made me feel like I was her only client. She must be so busy and yet she always returned my calls and emails same day. She is a calm and pleasant person to talk to and puts you at ease. She explains everything and helps you to understand the documents before you sign, no matter how many questions. Her service cost exactly what she said it would. Everything she did was quick and efficient. My closing date was April 1 2020 right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic (I had signed my contract in December, but you know how long co-ops take). The seller's lawyer didn't come to the closing in person due to social distancing. Rashidah handled everything, since it was just signatures on documents that had already been prepared. She brought hand sanitizer and a mask and extra pens, and made sure that the seller's attorney called him on Zoom before we started so he could be virtually present. She brought all his paperwork and mine, and we had what my realtor called the smoothest and fastest closing she'd ever seen. We signed everything on my new kitchen counters.
I already knew that Rashidah was reliable and excellent at what she does, but I learned at my closing that she is also flexible and has even the unexpected issues handled.
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29 Apr, 2014 by Anonymous
Note: The address given for this office is out of date; they've move a few doors away. Rashidah is an excellent attorney and very easy to work with and get along with. She's handled several transactions for us and will be doing more; I consider her our go-to attorney. She's a real estate specialist but they also do ordinary wills, trusts and estates. She excels at responsiveness. She has not been in practice all that long, and as a result, there are obscure things she does not know. But for most people this is not a concern. Highly recommended.
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22 Apr, 2021 by Anonymous
No nonsense, busy but worth the wait. He is one of the most experienced lawyers in landlord tenant matters. He guides the judges on the law. He was methodical and worked his way through each witness and pinpointed the holes in their testimony. Many people say he is not patient, obviously that is because he does not have time to deal with other lawyers who do not know the law or are not prepared. I saw that first hand. He will get you what you want and well worth the price . He did a much better job than my Manhattan lawyers. A consummate professional even if you do not like his bedside manner.
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15 Feb, 2018 by Andrew
He (eventually) got the job done, but he's the most unprofessional lawyer I've ever had the displeasure of working with.
I hired Mr. Napoletano to remove some tenants in a holdover proceeding back in March and wasn't able to get the tenants out until the end of September. For months after hiring him, I never even got to speak to Mr. Napoletano directly - I always had to go through his assistant.
When all of the paperwork was finally filed with the courts, Mr. Napoletano set a date that I was unable to make, since he never even thought to ask me about my schedule. Rescheduling took another two months. On top of this, he made me bring my 94-year-old grandmother (who owns the property) to court twice, even though she wasn't needed.
If all of this wasn't bad enough, whenever I showed up to court, Mr. Napoletano was always an hour or two late. On every occasion, he sent me a curt email, telling me to let the judge know he was on his way, even though he refused to give any sort of ETA.
During the last court appearance, when Mr. Napoletano was over two hours late, and the judge was asking me repeatedly where my lawyer was, I offhandedly said "oh, he's always late." Somehow, this information made its way back to Mr. Napoletano, who had the audacity to take me aside (when he finally arrived) and chew me out. He told me it wasn't my job to make excuses for why he was late (even though this is exactly what he had asked me to do in the email), and then he continued to give me the excuse that he was late because he had another court appearance in a different county that morning.
My takeaway from all this is that he's a lawyer who's too busy to give any of his clients the attention or care they deserve, too disrespectful, and too unprofessional for the price he charges. He also was only able to get the tenants out after around 7 months with no ruling for them to pay back rent. I would never work with this jerk again.
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FAQs
Questions? We have answers
What a Trusts Lawyer Can Do for You
A trusts lawyer specializes in creating and managing trusts, which are legal entities that allow individuals to transfer assets to beneficiaries while maintaining control over how and when those assets are distributed. Trusts are used for estate planning, asset protection, tax planning, and ensuring the financial security of loved ones. Trusts lawyers help clients choose the right type of trust for their needs, draft trust documents, and advise on the administration and management of trusts.
Whether you're planning to pass on your assets to your heirs, protect your wealth from creditors, or provide for a disabled family member, a trusts lawyer can help you establish a trust that meets your financial and personal goals.
When Should I Hire a Trusts Lawyer?
You should consider hiring a trusts lawyer in various situations, particularly when you're planning for the future distribution of your assets or protecting your wealth. Common reasons to hire a trusts lawyer include:
- Estate planning: If you want to ensure that your assets are distributed according to your wishes, a lawyer can help you create a revocable or irrevocable trust to avoid probate and provide for your heirs.
- Asset protection: If you want to protect your assets from creditors, lawsuits, or potential future liabilities, a lawyer can help you establish a trust to shield your wealth.
- Special needs planning: If you have a disabled family member, a lawyer can create a special needs trust to provide for their care without affecting their eligibility for government benefits.
- Tax planning: If you're looking to minimize estate taxes or manage tax liabilities, a lawyer can help you create tax-advantageous trusts, such as a credit shelter trust or charitable remainder trust.
- Charitable giving: If you want to leave a legacy through charitable donations, a lawyer can help you set up a charitable trust to ensure your donations are managed according to your wishes.
- Business succession planning: If you own a business and want to ensure a smooth transition of ownership, a lawyer can help you establish a trust to pass the business on to your heirs or chosen successors.
Hiring a trusts lawyer early in the estate planning process ensures that your assets are protected and your wishes are clearly documented, reducing the chances of disputes after your death.
What Does a Trusts Lawyer Do?
A trusts lawyer provides a variety of legal services to help individuals create, manage, and administer trusts. Their responsibilities often include:
- Drafting trust documents: Preparing the legal documents needed to create the trust, ensuring it is tailored to your specific goals and complies with state and federal laws.
- Choosing the right type of trust: Assisting clients in selecting the most appropriate type of trust for their needs, whether it's a revocable trust, irrevocable trust, living trust, or special needs trust.
- Trust administration: Guiding trustees through their legal responsibilities, including managing assets, making distributions to beneficiaries, and filing tax returns.
- Modifying or terminating trusts: Helping modify or terminate trusts if circumstances change, such as changes in tax laws, family situations, or personal preferences.
- Protecting beneficiaries' interests: Structuring trusts to protect the interests of beneficiaries, especially if there are concerns about financial management, disability, or dependency issues.
- Minimizing estate taxes: Assisting clients in structuring their trusts to minimize or avoid estate taxes, ensuring more of the estate passes to beneficiaries.
- Handling disputes: Mediating or representing clients in court if disputes arise among beneficiaries or between trustees and beneficiaries.
How Are Trusts Lawyers Paid?
Trusts lawyers typically charge for their services based on the complexity of the trust and the type of legal work involved. Common payment methods include:
- Flat fee: For drafting basic trusts, such as revocable living trusts or special needs trusts, many lawyers charge a flat fee. This can range from $1,000 to $5,000 or more, depending on the complexity of the trust.
- Hourly rate: For more complex trust planning, ongoing trust administration, or resolving disputes, some lawyers charge by the hour. Hourly rates typically range from $150 to $500 or more, depending on the lawyer’s experience and location.
- Retainer: For long-term trust administration or complex estate planning cases, some lawyers may require a retainer, an upfront payment that covers ongoing services.
- Contingency fee (rare): In rare cases, particularly in disputes involving the administration of a trust, lawyers may work on a contingency fee basis, getting paid only if they successfully recover funds or resolve a legal dispute in your favor.
Always discuss the fee structure with your lawyer during the initial consultation to understand the total cost of services.
How Much Does a Trusts Lawyer Cost?
The cost of hiring a trusts lawyer depends on the complexity of the trust, the lawyer’s experience, and the fee structure. General cost estimates include:
- Basic trust creation: For simple trusts, such as revocable living trusts, fees may range from $1,000 to $3,000.
- Complex trust creation: For sophisticated estate plans involving multiple trusts, tax planning strategies, or special needs considerations, legal fees may range from $5,000 to $10,000 or more.
- Trust administration: If you are serving as a trustee and need ongoing legal advice, hourly rates for trust administration can range from $150 to $500 or more.
- Dispute resolution: Costs for litigation or mediation in trust disputes may range from $5,000 to $50,000 or more, depending on the complexity of the case.
Be sure to get a detailed cost estimate from your lawyer during the consultation to ensure the services fit within your budget.
Top Questions to Ask a Trusts Lawyer
Before hiring a trusts lawyer, consider asking the following questions:
-
What experience do you have with creating trusts?
Ensure the lawyer has experience drafting trusts and managing trust administration for clients with similar goals or asset structures. -
What types of trusts do you recommend for my situation?
Ask the lawyer to explain the different types of trusts available and which ones best suit your needs. -
How do you charge for your services?
Clarify the fee structure and request an estimate of the total cost. -
What are the tax implications of the trust?
Ensure the lawyer can explain how the trust will affect your taxes and strategies to minimize tax liability. -
How long will it take to set up the trust?
Ask for a timeline for creating and finalizing the trust documents. -
Will you handle the trust administration?
If ongoing management is required, inquire whether the lawyer will assist with trust administration or if you'll need a separate trustee. -
Can you help resolve disputes if they arise?
Ask about the lawyer's experience in resolving trust disputes.
How to Check the Credibility of a Trusts Lawyer
To ensure you are hiring a reputable trusts lawyer, take the following steps:
- Verify their bar status: Check with your state bar association to confirm the lawyer is licensed and has no disciplinary actions.
- Look for trust law experience: Review their website or professional profile to ensure they specialize in estate planning and trusts.
- Read client reviews and testimonials: Look for feedback on platforms like Avvo, Martindale-Hubbell, or Google.
- Ask for references: Request references from past clients who can speak to their experience with the lawyer.
- Check for certifications: Look for certifications such as Certified Estate Planning Law Specialist (EPLS) or memberships in organizations like the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys (AAEPA).
What Should I Prepare for My First Consultation?
To make the most of your first consultation with a trusts lawyer, bring the following:
- List of assets: Prepare a list of all your assets, including real estate, bank accounts, investments, retirement accounts, and personal property.
- List of beneficiaries: Provide names and contact information of individuals or organizations you want to name as beneficiaries.
- Existing estate planning documents: Bring copies of any existing wills, trusts, or other estate planning documents.
- Financial information: Bring financial statements, tax returns, and other relevant financial documentation.
- Questions for the lawyer: Prepare a list of questions about the trust creation process, fees, and how the trust will protect your assets and beneficiaries.
- Goals for the trust: Clearly outline your objectives, such as asset protection, tax minimization, or provisions for beneficiaries, so the lawyer can tailor the trust to your needs.
By preparing thoroughly for your consultation, you can help the lawyer assess your situation effectively and receive the best possible legal advice for creating and managing your trust.
