Estate planning when you have a child with special needs.
Special needs trusts, why timing matters, how to plan around public benefits, and the three questions we ask first.
By Helene MarstonREAD · 14 MIN
ESTATE · WILLS · TRUSTS · EST. 2009 · NEW YORK
What you leave is a love letter.
Marston Estate Law is a small firm. We write estate plans for families — not for forms. The work is slow because it deserves to be.
The Guides · long-form, written by us
Six guides, before you call.
Most of what families ask, we’ve already written about. Read what fits, then decide whether to call.
What changes at sixty-five.
A reading of the choices we recommend revisiting at 65 — Medicare, beneficiaries, healthcare proxies, the conversation with adult children.
By Daniel MarstonREAD · 11 MIN
Blended families, on paper.
Second marriages, step-children, prior heirs — how we structure plans to keep the family together, and out of court.
By Helene MarstonREAD · 12 MIN
Succession, without surprise.
Buy-sell agreements, family partnerships, what to do with the business when the founder steps back — in writing, with timelines.
By Daniel MarstonREAD · 16 MIN
The first thirty days.
A short guide for the family member who just took on the role — the first thirty days, the next ninety, and the year that follows.
By Sara Marston-CohenREAD · 9 MIN
A will is not enough.
Why an estate plan is more than a will — the four documents we draft together, and what each one actually does.
By The FirmREAD · 8 MIN
The Process · from first call to signing
Six conversations. Twelve to sixteen weeks.
What working with us looks like. Each step is a conversation — with the family, in our office, at your kitchen table, or by video.
1
WEEK 1 · THIRTY MINUTES, NO COST
An introduction.
A short call. We listen to what you’re hoping to do, ask three or four questions, and tell you whether we’re the right firm for the matter. If we’re not, we refer you to someone who is.
2
WEEK 2 · NINETY MINUTES, IN PERSON
The first meeting.
The whole family if you’d like — spouses, adult children, anyone whose name will be in the plan. We read the room as much as we read the file.
3
WEEKS 3 — 6
We draft.
The documents go through three rounds in our office before they go to you. The first draft is the structure; the second is the language; the third is the language — again, slower.
4
WEEKS 7 — 10
You read.
We send a clean draft and a short letter explaining each section in plain English. You read in your own time. We meet again to walk through every question, no matter how small.
5
WEEKS 11 — 14
We refine.
Anything that doesn’t sound like you, we change. Anything that doesn’t feel right, we change. Anything you want to think about for another week, we wait.
6
WEEK 15 OR 16
You sign.
In our office, with witnesses we’ve worked with for years. After it’s signed, we keep the originals in the firm safe and send you a sealed copy for the file at home. We schedule a one-year check-in before you leave.
The Attorneys · first-name basis
Three at the table.
You’ll meet all of us before the second meeting. That’s how we work.
Helene Marston
FOUNDING PARTNER · ESTATE & TRUST
Helene opened the firm in 2009 after thirteen years at Sullivan & Worcester’s trusts and estates group. She writes the plans for families. She drafts the language that will outlive her.
17 YRS · FounderNY & CT bar
Daniel Marston
PARTNER · BUSINESS SUCCESSION
Daniel handles succession for closely held businesses — family partnerships, buy-sells, the kind of plan a founder wants but doesn’t want to write. He started at the firm in 2017.
9 YRS · PartnerNY bar
Sara Marston-Cohen
ASSOCIATE · PROBATE & ADMINISTRATION
Sara works with families after a passing — probate, administration, the slow work of moving a plan into action. She writes the executor guide, and she sends it to every family before the first meeting.
4 YRS · AssociateNY & NJ bar
Schedule a conversation · not a consult
A first call.
Tell us a little about your family and the moment you’re in. We’ll respond within one business day with a thirty-minute window. No cost. No commitment.