Nassau County Estate Administration Lawyer

Skilled Estate Administration Attorney in Nassau County, NY

You are trying to settle a parent’s estate while you are still grieving them. You are not sure if you are doing it right. You are worried the house will sit empty while paperwork stalls, that a sibling will second-guess every decision, or that one missed step will land back on you personally.

When you choose Christine Pezzello as your Nassau County estate administration lawyer, you work with her, not a rotating team. Families like yours know who will answer the phone when you have questions.

Contact us and tell us where your loved one’s estate stands right now. Our Estate Planning attorney will tell you exactly what Nassau County Surrogate’s Court needs next, and what can wait.

A Nassau County Attorney You Work With Directly

Nassau County Surrogate’s Court runs on exact forms, notices, and deadlines, and one missed step can delay the case or leave you personally exposed. While hiring an attorney for every estate administration is not legally required, it becomes essential in complex situations.

If a case is contested or involves multiple fiduciaries, courts may not allow you to represent the estate on your own. Even in simpler matters, most families find it faster and less stressful to have an experienced professional handle the process alongside them.

Our founding attorney, Christine Pezzello, is a Hofstra Law graduate who has been practicing in New York since 2015. She established our Nassau County practice in 2020 to ensure that families work directly with her, not a rotating team of associates. That gives you the personal, focused attention you deserve during a difficult time.

Estate Administration vs. Estate Planning in New York

Estate administration is not the same as estate planning. Estate planning happens before death, when someone writes a will or sets up a trust. Estate administration happens after, when that plan, or the lack of one, has to be carried out in Nassau County Surrogate’s Court.

If there is a valid will, the court admits it to probate and issues Letters Testamentary to the executor named in it. If there is no will, an eligible relative petitions for Letters of Administration instead, and New York’s intestate succession rules decide who has that right and who inherits.

Either way, the person appointed has to inventory what the deceased owned, notify the people entitled to a share, pay legitimate debts, and account to the court before anything gets distributed.

Small estates with $50,000 or less in personal property can often skip full administration through a shorter voluntary proceeding.

What Estate Administration in New York Covers

Estate administration covers everything that happens after someone dies and their assets have to pass from their name to the people entitled to receive them.

Our estate administration attorney in Nassau County represents executors, administrators, and family members through:

• Opening administration or probate cases in Nassau County Surrogate’s Court
• Filing petitions for Letters of Administration when there is no will, or Letters Testamentary when there is
• Marshaling assets, including real property, bank accounts, and retirement accounts
• Paying valid debts and responding to creditor claims
• Distributing what remains to heirs and closing the estate with the court
• Handling voluntary administration for small estates with $50,000 or less in personal property

Whichever situation fits your family, our estate administration attorney can tell you which proceeding applies, what it requires, and roughly how long Nassau County’s court process takes for a case like yours.

Understanding Your Legal Responsibilities and Risks as an Administrator

New York holds fiduciaries to a real standard. As administrator, you have to follow the rules exactly. If you pay yourself or another family member before paying valid debts, skip a required notice to an heir, or mix estate funds with your own, you can be held personally liable for the shortfall under the Surrogate’s Court Procedure Act.

If your family member died without a will, New York law, not their wishes, decides who inherits and how much under Estates, Powers and Trusts Law section 4-1.1. A spouse with children does not automatically receive everything.

Do you know whether your family’s situation matches what that statute assumes? Getting this wrong can cost more than money. It can strain family relationships during an already difficult time.

This information reflects New York law as of July 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions About Estate Administration Law

What is the difference between probate and estate administration?

Probate is the specific proceeding used when there is a valid will. Estate administration is the broader term for handling everything that happens after a death, whether there is a will or not, and it includes the proceeding used when someone dies without one.

What does an estate administration attorney cost in Nassau County?

Fees vary by the size of the estate and whether anyone contests the appointment or the will. We can give you a realistic estimate once I understand what your family member owned and whether the case is likely to be contested.

What happens if my family member died without a will in New York?

New York’s intestate succession law decides who inherits and in what shares, and it does not always match what the family expected. A surviving spouse with children, for example, does not automatically receive the entire estate. Someone still has to petition the court for Letters of Administration before any of it can move forward.

Can I be held personally responsible for mistakes I make as administrator?

Yes. Fiduciaries in New York can be held personally liable for distributing assets improperly, missing a required notice, or mismanaging estate funds. That risk is one of the main reasons families choose to have an attorney guide the process instead of handling it entirely alone.

What is the first step to open an estate in Nassau County Surrogate’s Court?

The first step is filing a petition, either for probate if there is a will or for Letters of Administration if there is not, along with a certified death certificate and the required Surrogate’s Court forms. Once the court reviews everything and any required notices are complete, it issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration, giving the executor or administrator legal authority to act.

Get Clarity on Your Next Steps: Contact Our Nassau County Estate Administration Attorney

Every week that goes by without the right paperwork filed is a week the estate stays stuck, and the questions from family members keep piling up. Contact Pezzello Law’s estate administration lawyer today. We will review where your loved one’s estate stands, tell you exactly what Nassau County Surrogate’s Court needs next, and handle it alongside you from the first petition to the final distribution.