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Pryor Cashman’s trusts and estates attorneys have extensive experience in all aspects of litigation involving trusts and estates in numerous courts. Specifically, we have represented a diverse clientele in numerous proceedings before the N.Y. State Surrogate’s Courts and our experience includes representing both fiduciaries and beneficiaries.

Our attorneys have successfully litigated will contests involving issues of undue influence, fraudulent wills and lack of testamentary capacity as well as cases involving appointment or removal of fiduciaries, disputed accountings, will constructions and discovery of assets. As part of our approach to trusts and estates litigation, our attorneys who actually litigate cases are involved in all aspects of trusts and estates administration for our clients. This provides an added measure of efficiency and economy because the attorneys handling the litigation are experts in trust and estate law. Meanwhile, these attorneys enjoy a close relationship with those in the other practice areas, enabling us to utilize our broad expertise when appropriate.

Out attorneys are mindful that the overwhelming majority of disputed matters in surrogate’s courts are settled before trial. Our expertise in pre-trial practice areas such as depositions of witnesses to wills and attorney-draftspersons as well as in motion practice before surrogate’s courts has enabled us to position our clients to obtain the best possible settlements in litigated matters in a cost and time-efficient manner.

Our trusts and estates attorneys also devote significant time to pro bono activities, chiefly by our representation of United Jewish Appeal-Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York Inc. (UJA). Our attorneys have successfully represented UJA in litigated matters involving disputed trusts and estates having complex legal issues, often resulting in meaningful settlements for the charity. Our pro bono work has enriched our practice, enabling our attorneys to “give back to society” by working for this worthy charity as well as adding to our expertise in issues unique to charities in complex trust and estate litigation.