New York
Probate & Estate Administration Lawyer
Serving Queens, Suffolk & Nassau Counties
- Clients who lost a loved one residing in New York or with real estate in NY
- Telephone conference & video conference
- Making the job of executor, administrator, trustee and probate easier for you
- Legal help for fiduciaries and beneficiaries
- Maximizing & protecting your inheritance
- No money for legal fees due upfront
Over 29 years of legal experience
Dealing exclusively with probate and estate administration cases

Call: (631) 425-7299
How can I afford to pay for an attorney?
Don’t Worry—No Money Due Upfront
We offer deferred retainers
Our deferred retainers make it possible for you to retain an attorney right away, which can make a huge difference in the outcome of probate and your inheritance.
You need to take care of your loved one’s affairs while ensuring that those left behind are not financially pressured or left in debt. We can help you. We are a full-service firm and you do not sacrifice quality just because you chose a different type of retainer.
Read more
HAVE YOU LOST A LOVED ONE?
Our firm wants to make this difficult time as easy as possible by helping you tend to legal affairs, manage assets and close the estate administration. If your loved one died with a will or without a will, we can prepare all the court documents, close on the real estate matters and clear up all other issues that the estate may need to resolve. Our office focuses on assisting executors, administrators, trustees and beneficiaries of New York estates and ancillary NY estate matters.
HOW CAN WE HELP YOU?
We can avoid the pitfalls that so many estates fall into and take the necessary steps to maximize the inheritance. Our years of legal experience enable us to utilize tax laws and implement their proper application.
By hiring our experienced firm, you can save money and time. We can protect you if you are a beneficiary and maximize your inheritance. We do so by analyzing the executor’s actions, reporting and accounting that you may not be aware of as well as searching for fraud and other improper conduct by those in control of the estate.
FAQS About Probate
What is the purpose of the probate process?
What is a will contest?
What are non-probate assets?
What strategies are available to preserve probate estate assets ?
An Overview of Our Practice
We concentrate our efforts on issues involving:
- Estate administration—We will work with you to ensure the orderly distribution of an estate, either through the probate process or through an intestacy proceeding. If you are an executor or administrator, we will ensure that you are properly appointed, that all notices are given, that any necessary property valuations are done, and that the property in an estate is distributed in accordance with the terms of a will or the laws of intestacy (when there is no valid will).
- Trust administration—We work closely with trust administrators, helping ensure compliance with the provisions set forth in a trust. We are known for our ability to effectively handle large trust administration.
- Probate administration— Probate Attorney Bonnie Lawston can help you address issues involved with the probate administration process, which is a process that determines the validity of a will. If you are an executor or administrator, a probate attorney can also assist with legal concerns regarding the payment of creditors, asset distribution and closing the estate.
Although it is not a focus of our practice, we have experience handling litigation related to estate matters.
FAQS About Probate
What is the purpose of the probate process?
What is a will contest?
What are non-probate assets?
What strategies are available to preserve probate estate assets ?
An Overview of Our Practice
We concentrate our efforts on issues involving:
- Estate administration—We will work with you to ensure the orderly distribution of an estate, either through the probate process or through an intestacy proceeding. If you are an executor or administrator, we will ensure that you are properly appointed, that all notices are given, that any necessary property valuations are done, and that the property in an estate is distributed in accordance with the terms of a will or the laws of intestacy (when there is no valid will).
- Trust administration—We work closely with trust administrators, helping ensure compliance with the provisions set forth in a trust. We are known for our ability to effectively handle large trust administration.
- Probate administration— Probate Attorney Bonnie Lawston can help you address issues involved with the probate administration process, which is a process that determines the validity of a will. If you are an executor or administrator, a probate attorney can also assist with legal concerns regarding the payment of creditors, asset distribution and closing the estate.
Although it is not a focus of our practice, we have experience handling litigation related to estate matters.
Contact the Law Office of Bonnie Lawston
At the Law Office of Bonnie Lawston, we have provided comprehensive probate, estate and trust administration counsel to individuals in Nassau County, Suffolk County and across the state of New York for nearly 30 years. We focus our practice on matters related to probate and estate administration, working with New York residents, as well as out-of-state executors of New York probate estates.
We provide special discounts to SUNY members, as well as members of the armed forces, police officer, firefighters and health care workers. We also offer a senior citizen discount. Our offices are located in Huntington and Brookhaven, but we will come to your home to meet with you, if necessary.
For a free initial consultation, contact our office online or call attorney Lawston at 631-425-7299.
Recent Blogs

Who Has the Right to Inherit When a Family Member Dies?
Intestacy (No Will) and Property Distribution New York laws establish the right to inherit for those who are kin to a deceased family member. A will typically names the beneficiaries. However, even with a will, sometimes the law overrides the provisions in a will. In...

The Importance of Using an Attorney Who Is Familiar with Ancillary Proceedings
When the deceased owned property in another state Increasingly, more people require ancillary proceedings to deal with an estate. This is due to the fact that in today’s world, it is common for people to own real estate property in states other than where they live....

New York State Probate, Administration and Kinship Matters
The Rights of Parties regarding New York State Probate, Administration (Intestacy) and Kinship Matters Protecting Your Rights in an Estate When You Live Elsewhere We live in a mobile society, where our children can and often do grow up and move to another state or...