Your information
The person we will be corresponding with about this estate.
The decedent
The person whose estate is being administered.
If widowed, divorced or separated, we will need the divorce decree or the spouse's death certificate — see Section 8.
Will and heirs
Whether there is a will determines whether we file for probate or for letters of administration.
Send us a copy now. We will need the original signed will to file with the court.
Give their full name, address, email and telephone number in the heirs list below.
Every spouse, child (including adopted children), and sibling as applicable. We need full name, relationship, address, email and phone for each.
If yes, tell us their name and whether they left children of their own.
Real estate
List every property the decedent owned or had an interest in — houses, condos, co-op shares, and vacant land.
Attach the current deed and the most recent mortgage statement for each — see Section 8.
Accounts and policies
Bank, investment and retirement accounts, life insurance, and pensions. Approximate balances are fine — we are sizing the estate, not auditing it.
Brokerage, IRA, 401(k), 403(b), annuities.
If yes, tell us the bank and branch — a box may need a court order to open.
Income and business interests
Rental income, ownership in any company, and anything else that was paying the decedent.
For each tenancy we need tenant information, the monthly rent, the lease if there is one, rent statements and bank statements.
Corporation: articles of incorporation, filing receipt, by-laws, shareholder agreement, EIN. LLC: articles of organization, filing receipt, operating agreement, EIN. Any other entity: the filing and governing documents and EIN.
Heirship affidavit witness
The court asks for a sworn statement from someone who knew the decedent and their family but is not related to them — a neighbor, a longtime friend, a co-worker.
Document checklist
Mark each item, then attach the ones you have to your email. Copies are fine for now — we will tell you which originals the court needs and when.
Send it to us
Copy your answers into an email to KDiffley@kdifflaw.com and attach the documents listed below.
- Nothing marked "attached" yet — mark items in Section 8 and they will be listed here.
Preview what will be copied
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K Diffley Law Group — Diffley Law, PLLC d/b/a K Diffley Law · Kevin K. Diffley, Esq.
26 Jericho Turnpike, New Hyde Park, NY 11040 · 516-750-1973 · KDiffley@kdifflaw.com
Completing this form does not create an attorney-client relationship. Once we have your information we will send our engagement letter and initial retainer request; the representation begins when that is signed and the retainer is paid.