Estates Attorney

Meirowitz & Wasserberg, LLP•New York, NY

1d•$150,000 - $165,000

About The Position

Meirowitz & Wasserberg, LLP, a trial law firm dedicated to helping injured people, is seeking an Estates Attorney. This role is responsible for overseeing all estate-related legal and administrative matters for cases involving deceased clients, claimants, beneficiaries, or distributees. The position involves substantive legal work, department leadership, staff supervision, operational management, client communication, coordination with outside counsel, and the development of departmental procedures. The firm has offices across multiple states and focuses on representing individuals, not corporations.

Requirements

Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school.
3+ years’ experience as an Estate Attorney.
Licensed and in good standing to practice law in New York.
Experience handling Surrogate's Court proceedings, probate, estate administration, wrongful death matters, and fiduciary appointments.
Strong knowledge of personal injury and wrongful death litigation processes.
Demonstrated leadership and project management experience.
Exceptional legal drafting, organizational, analytical, and communication skills.
Ability to manage multiple complex matters simultaneously while maintaining accuracy and meeting deadlines.

Nice To Haves

Proficiency with SmartAdvocate and Microsoft Office applications preferred.

Responsibilities

Manage estate-related matters following the death of clients, claimants, beneficiaries, or distributees to assess impact on pending cases.
Analyze estate requirements affecting litigation, settlements, substitutions, releases, wrongful death claims, and distributions.
Coordinate with families, fiduciaries, and interested parties to support estate administration and case progression.
Resolve estate-related legal, procedural, and administrative issues to advance litigation and settlement matters.
Maintain accurate estate documentation, action plans, and case updates in SmartAdvocate and other systems.
Collaborate with attorneys, leadership, and departments by providing updates, guidance, and recommendations on estate matters.
Draft, review, and oversee Surrogate's Court petitions and supporting documentation in New York.
Attend Surrogate's Court appearances throughout New York State.
Monitor estate proceedings through the issuance of letters and entry of final decrees.
Determine whether court approval is required for settlements involving personal injury, survival, wrongful death, or mixed claims.
Prepare and review wrongful death compromise petitions.
Analyze proposed allocations between survival and wrongful death proceeds.
Coordinate with key stakeholders to obtain information required for court approval.
Monitor proceedings through completion and attend related court appearances.
Evaluate estate matters involving decedents domiciled outside New York.
Conduct legal research on probate, estate administration, wrongful death, survival actions, fiduciary appointments, and jurisdiction-specific requirements.
Identify and manage relationships with outside estate counsel based on jurisdiction, expertise, responsiveness, cost, and case needs.
Serve as the primary point of contact between outside counsel, decedent families, and internal litigation teams.
Monitor referred matters, track progress, and follow up on outstanding requirements to support timely resolution.
Review estate counsel recommendations and strategies to ensure alignment with firm litigation and settlement objectives.
Serve as the firm's primary internal resource on estate-related legal issues affecting litigation, settlement authority, fiduciary capacity, court approval, and distributions.
Advise attorneys and case teams regarding estate requirements and procedural strategies.
Participate in conferences involving complex, high-priority, or delayed estate matters.
Coordinate estate-related activities with Litigation, Releases, Accounting, Liens, Medicare, structured settlement professionals, and firm leadership.
Oversee the day-to-day operations of the Estates Department.
Directly supervise, mentor, and provide support to Estates Department legal assistants and support personnel.
Establish assignments, priorities, deadlines, performance expectations, documentation standards, and escalation procedures.