Choosing an estate-planning attorney in New York City is easier when the first conversation confirms what documents are actually needed and how the work is coordinated from intake to final signing. New York Legacy Lawyers by Yana Feldman & Associates PLLC (contact: (718) 713-8080) publicly describes its practice as focused on estate planning and related trusts-and-estates matters, with office information listed at 132 32nd St #301, Brooklyn, NY 11232. Before you schedule, the questions below can help you reduce back-and-forth and avoid a mismatch between your goals and the firm’s deliverables.
Start by mapping your matter to the exact document category
Estate planning often gets described in broad terms, but attorneys handle different “outputs.” In the context of New York Legacy Lawyers’ public practice areas, you may see references to estate planning alongside living trusts, wills, power of attorney, probate/estate administration, and asset protection. A strong first step is to describe your situation in one or two sentences and then ask what specific documents the firm expects to prepare for that scenario.
Helpful prompts to use on your call include: “Which of these are you planning to draft for my situation—will, living trust, or both?” and “Are you also handling powers of attorney as part of the same engagement, or is that a separate package?” If the attorney can explain the document list clearly, it usually signals the work is scoped before the timeline starts moving.
Confirm who will produce the “final package” and what the timeline looks like
Even when two firms offer similar services, the process details can differ. Ask how many draft rounds are typical, what triggers an update (for example, when beneficiaries or asset details change), and when signing is scheduled. The most useful answer is one that connects your inputs to outputs: what you provide, what the firm prepares, and when the next step happens.
If the firm mentions estate planning and probate/estate administration, it is also reasonable to ask whether the same team supports administration questions later, or whether new counsel steps in. That distinction can matter if the attorney’s role shifts after death or if additional filings are required.
Use a “document readiness” question to prevent scope drift
One of the fastest ways to derail an estate plan is waiting too long to gather basic information. Ask what documents or facts the attorney needs before drafting begins. For many estate-planning matters, that can include current ownership information, beneficiary selections, and details about guardianship or special considerations for children or dependents.
On the call, you can ask: “What information should I bring or prepare ahead of time?” and “If something changes mid-drafting, how does that affect revisions and timing?” A firm that answers these questions directly is more likely to manage expectations throughout the process.
Ask about powers of attorney as a separate planning decision
Power of attorney decisions often get bundled into estate planning, but they are not interchangeable with wills and trusts. Ask what type of authority is being discussed and how it connects to your overall plan. If your family’s circumstances include caregiving planning or concerns about decision-making capacity, this is also the moment to ask how the firm approaches those issues.
Because powers of attorney can impact day-to-day management during a period when you may not be able to communicate, a careful answer should clarify: what the document does, when it is intended to be used, and what responsibilities you want the agent to have.
For living trust planning, confirm the practical “handoff” details
Living trusts are often marketed as a single document, but the practical results depend on how assets are titled and how records are maintained. Ask what steps the firm expects after the trust is signed. For example: what changes should you make to accounts or property, how the firm explains those steps, and what guidance (if any) is provided for keeping trust-related paperwork organized.
If you already have existing documents, ask whether the firm handles updates and how they compare old terms to proposed changes. That can be especially important if you are replacing an older will or making major beneficiary adjustments.
Wrap up by confirming logistics: phone, address, and next actions
Once you know which documents the firm expects to draft, confirm logistics and the next action. Public information for this practice includes a phone number and a Brooklyn address at 132 32nd St #301, Brooklyn, NY 11232. Use that to ask about scheduling expectations, what to bring to the consultation, and how the firm communicates during drafting.
At the end of the call, you should be able to state (in your own words) the list of documents, what information you still need to provide, and what the firm will deliver. If you can’t, that’s a sign you may want to ask for a written summary of scope before moving forward.
Contact: (718) 713-8080. Office listing: 132 32nd St #301, Brooklyn, NY 11232.
