What Happens at Your New York Estate Planning Appointment — and What It Costs

Most people postpone estate planning because they don’t know what they’re walking into. This guide tells you exactly what to expect: time, cost drivers, and the decisions you’ll face, so your first meeting with Morgan Legal Group becomes a working session, not an orientation.

How Long Does It Take?

Stage	Typical Timeline
Initial consultation	45–60 minutes
Draft trust documents	1–3 weeks
Funding (retitling assets)	2–8 weeks depending on account types
Full plan in place	4–10 weeks from signing

Probate in New York’s Surrogate’s Court, by contrast, routinely runs 12–24 months — one practical reason clients choose a revocable living trust over a will alone.

What Drives Your Cost

Complexity, not page count, sets the price. Key factors:

• Trust type. A revocable living trust is a starting point; an irrevocable trust for estate-tax or Medicaid planning (subject to the 5-year look-back under federal Medicaid rules) requires more analysis.
• Estate size relative to the NY exclusion. The 2026 basic exclusion is $7,350,000. Estates above the cliff at $7,717,500 lose the entire exemption under NY law — structured irrevocable trusts governed by EPTL Article 7 are often the only effective hedge.
• Beneficiary complexity. A Special Needs Trust under EPTL 7-1.12 to protect a disabled beneficiary’s Medicaid and SSI eligibility adds a layer that generic online forms cannot safely replicate.
• Trustee duties. Whoever you name must meet the prudent-investor standard of EPTL Article 11-A; professional trustees also receive commissions under SCPA/EPTL commission schedules.

See Trust vs. Will for a side-by-side breakdown, or Trust Administration for what happens after signing.

Reserve Your Consultation

Attorney Russel Morgan, Esq. serves clients across New York — NYC boroughs, Long Island, Westchester, the Hudson Valley, and Upstate.

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