About Richard Cary Spivack
A Queens practice, built one matter at a time since 1985.
Admitted to the New York bar in 1978. Two years as a Queens County prosecutor. Then four decades of private practice, most of it in the same building in Forest Hills.
- Bar admission
- New York, 1978
- In practice
- Forest Hills since 1985
- Professional rating
- Martindale-Hubbell® Distinguished, 2019
- BBB
- Accredited Business, Rating A+
Richard Cary Spivack, outside the Forest Hills office
Richard Cary Spivack was admitted to the New York bar in 1978 and went straight into the Queens County District Attorney’s Office, where he spent three years prosecuting cases. It is the least typical part of a probate lawyer’s background, and it turns out to matter more than it might seem.
Prosecution teaches you how a case is built. You learn what evidence a case actually needs, where the weak joints are, and how quickly a matter becomes difficult to move. It also teaches you that an assessment made in the first week tends to hold — which is a useful habit to carry into an estate where one missed deadline can cost months.
Into private practice
He left the District Attorney’s Office in 1981, spent four years as an associate, and became a partner in 1985. That is the year this business began, and the year the office has counted from ever since. He has practised from 118-21 Queens Boulevard in Forest Hills since 1991.
Almost everything he does now comes back to the same problems: a document that was signed properly, or was not; an asset that was titled in a way that defeats the plan; a family that has drifted apart over something that could have been handled differently. The estate work and the criminal work are separate disciplines, and he keeps them separate. What they share is the habit of checking how a matter will be built before deciding how to respond to it.
How he works
Richard will tell you what he thinks a matter involves, what it is likely to cost, and what the risks are. Where a client does not need a lawyer, he will say that too. It is not a negotiating position; it is a description of what a practice that has been doing this since 1985 looks like after a while.
- Plain answers. No jargon without an explanation, and no jargon at all where an ordinary word will do.
- Realistic timelines. Including the parts you cannot control, and why.
- A recommendation. What he would do, not a list of everything that could theoretically be done.
- No promises. Nobody can promise an outcome in a probate or a criminal case, and anyone who does is reassuring you rather than advising you.
- 1985EstablishedThis business has been operating since 1985.
- 1978Bar admissionAdmitted to the New York bar in 1978.
Career
The record, in order
- B.A., Queens CollegeCUNY
- J.D., St. John’s UniversityAdmitted to the New York bar
- Assistant District AttorneyQueens County District Attorney’s Office
- AssociateAbbott & Bushlow
- PartnerSpivak & Rameriz
- PrincipalRichard Cary Spivack
Career history as recorded in New York attorney registration records and the practice’s own account. Martindale-Hubbell® is a registered trademark of Thomson Reuters; the Distinguished designation is a peer review rating and is not an endorsement of any particular outcome.
Credentials
What can be independently verified
- BBB A+BBB Accredited BusinessAccredited since November 21, 2016 (opens in a new tab)
- DistinguishedMartindale-Hubbell®Peer Review Rated for Professional Excellence, 2019
- 1978New York bar admissionCurrently registered, Reg. #1092865
- Queens ADAFormer Assistant District Attorney1978–1981 · Queens County
Bar affiliations
- Queens County Bar Association
- New York State Bar Association
- New York Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- New York State Defenders Association
Education
- St. John’s University School of Law — Juris Doctor, 1978
- Queens College, City University of New York — Bachelor of Arts, 1973
- New York attorney registration #1092865, currently registered
BBB Accredited Business, BBB Rating A+, accredited since November 21, 2016. Opens the official BBB business profile in a new tab.BBB Accredited BusinessBBB Rating: A+Accredited since November 21, 2016View the official BBB profile (opens in a new tab)
BBB accreditation and rating are stated as published on the official BBB business profile for Richard Cary Spivack Attorney at Law. Accreditation is not an endorsement by the Bureau, and no claim of endorsement is made anywhere on this site.
Verify independently
- Official BBB business profile
- Avvo attorney profile
- New York attorney registry (Reg. #1092865)
Practice
What the office handles
- Surrogate’s CourtProbateProbating a will and administering a New York estate from end to end.Read about this
- After the will is acceptedEstate AdministrationThe practical work of settling an estate: assets, debts, taxes, distributions.Read about this
- PlanningWills & TrustsDocuments that decide who inherits, who decides, and when.Read about this
- Court proceedingsGuardianshipWhen someone can no longer make decisions safely for themselves.Read about this
- Long-term care & MedicaidElder LawPlanning for care costs before they arrive, not after.Read about this
- Decide in advancePower of Attorney & Health Care ProxyChoose who acts for you financially and medically — while you still can.Read about this
- Queens criminal courtSeparate practiceCriminal DefenseRepresentation for people accused of crimes in Queens and Nassau.Discuss a charge
Practicalities
Before you come in
Where is the office and how do I get there?
Suite 504 at 118-21 Queens Boulevard in Forest Hills, New York 11375. The telephone number is (718) 544-1000. Forest Hills is a short drive or ride from the Queens County Surrogate’s Court in Kew Gardens and the Queens criminal courthouse, which is relevant if you have a court date there.
How soon will someone respond to my enquiry?
Enquiries are handled in the order they arrive and as promptly as the practice can manage, but I would rather tell you plainly that I cannot guarantee a response time than promise one I cannot keep. If your situation is urgent — a court date, a filing deadline, a family member in immediate difficulty — please call (718) 544-1000 rather than sending a message through this site. If you would rather email, the address is contact@queens-probatelawyer.com.
Does talking to this website or sending a form create an attorney–client relationship?
No, and this is worth being explicit about. Reading this website, or calling, or sending a message through the contact form, does not create an attorney–client relationship, and nothing here should be treated as advice about your situation. A relationship is formed only when the practice agrees to take the matter and you accept — normally confirmed in writing after a consultation. That matters for more than formality. Until then, do not send me anything you would not want disclosed, and be careful about what you say to anyone else about your situation.
Which areas does the practice serve?
Queens, Brooklyn, Nassau County and New York City, from a Forest Hills office. Much of the work is in Queens County, where the Surrogate’s Court sits in Kew Gardens, but the practice accepts matters across the city and into Nassau. If you are outside these areas and the matter is substantial, call and ask before making a trip.
Last reviewed
Further reading
Guides from this office
- Probate2 min readProbate in Queens Surrogate’s Court: What to Bring and What Happens NextMost people arrive at a first probate conversation holding two folders and a problem. One has what they think the court needs. The other is the question they are actually worried about. BothRead the guide
- Probate3 min readExecutor vs Administrator in New York Probate: The Real DifferencesThe words sound like a distinction without a difference. It is not. The title tells you how the person was appointed, which decides what proof of authority they can produce, who is likely toRead the guide
- Probate3 min readUnderstanding Surrogate’s Court Paperwork and DeadlinesSurrogate’s Court problems rarely begin with a family argument or a complicated legal issue. They begin with a missed date, an incomplete document, or papers filed without something requiredRead the guide
Get in touch
If you would like to talk it through, that is the whole first step.
Richard handles enquiries personally. Bring whatever you have — a will, a death certificate, a letter from a hospital — or bring nothing and describe the problem. Either is a fine place to start.