Asbestos Estates Attorney

Meirowitz-; New York (NY); On-site; USD 150,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive Medical, Dental and Vis

Vision Insurance

Paid Time Off

Retirement Plan

Commuter Transit Program

Job summary

Meirowitz & Wasserberg, LLP is seeking an Asbestos Estates Attorney to lead estate matters for personal injury, wrongful death, asbestos, and settlement cases. You will supervise staff, coordinate with outside counsel, and develop department workflows to advance litigation.

The role requires NY licensure, 3+ years’ experience in estate law, and strong drafting/organizational skills. You will engage families and fiduciaries and support diverse multi-jurisdictional matters.

Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school and bar admission in New York.
• Minimum 3+ years’ experience as an Estate Attorney or similar.
• Experience handling Surrogate's Court proceedings, probate, and fiduciary appointments.
• Strong knowledge of personal injury and wrongful death litigation processes.
• Demonstrated leadership and project management experience.
• Excellent drafting, organizational and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Oversee estate-related matters for deceased clients and related cases.
• Draft, review and supervise Surrogate's Court petitions and supporting docs.
• Attend Surrogate's Court appearances and monitor proceedings.
• Lead Estate Department operations, supervise staff and set workflows.
• Collaborate with lawyers, leadership and other departments on estate matters.
• Manage relationships with outside estate counsel and coordinate case progression.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Legal drafting

Organizational skills

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Multitasking

Education

Juris Doctor (J.D.)

Tools

SmartAdvocate

Microsoft Office

Job description

Asbestos Estates Attorney

About Us

Meirowitz & Wasserberg, LLP, is a trial law firm dedicated to helping injured people get the justice they deserve. We have offices in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, North Carolina, Illinois, Florida, California, and Texas. We only represent people—not corporations. Our nationwide practice affords us the opportunity to make a difference on a broad scale, and we are looking for colleagues who share our passion.

About the Role

The Asbestos Estates Attorney is responsible for overseeing all estate-related legal and administrative matters necessary to advance the firm's personal injury, wrongful death, asbestos, and settlement cases involving deceased clients, claimants, beneficiaries, or distributees. This position combines substantive legal work with department leadership, staff supervision, operational management, client and family communication, coordination with outside counsel, and the development and oversight of departmental procedures and workflows.

You Will:

Estate Assessment & Case Management

• 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.

New York Estate Proceedings

• Draft, review, and oversee Surrogate's Court petitions and supporting documentation, including:
  • Fiduciary oaths and designations
  • Waivers and consents
  • Renunciations
  • Affidavits
  • Family tree submissions
  • Citations
  • Proposed decrees
• Attend Surrogate's Court appearances throughout New York State.
• Monitor estate proceedings through the issuance of letters and entry of final decrees.

Wrongful Death & Court Approval Proceedings

• 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.

Multi-Jurisdictional Estate Matters

• 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.

Legal & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• 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.

Department Leadership & Staff Management

• 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.

You Have:

• 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.
• Proficiency with SmartAdvocate and Microsoft Office applications preferred.

Our Benefits:

• Comprehensive Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance Plans
• Paid Time Off
• Commuter Transit Program
• Retirement Plan

Salary Range: $150,000-$165,000 per year

The quoted salary range represents our good faith estimate as to what our ideal candidates are likely to expect, and we tailor our offers within the range based on the selected candidate's experience, industry knowledge, location, technical and communication skills, and other factors that may prove relevant during the interview process. It is not a guaranteed minimum/maximum.