Susan Moniz Harrington has been in legal practice since 1992, joining Rubin and Rudman in 2001. Susan's extensive litigation background is unique for a trust and estate attorney, and means that she can answer clients' questions about process from an insider's perspective. Now, as a partner of the Trust Department and a working mother, Susan says she's got, "…the job that I love and the life that I want."

Susan works closely with litigators, providing a broad spectrum of services throughout the life cycle to individuals, families, special needs adults, children, and their caretakers. In addition to drafting estate plans, among her colleagues she's known as the 'go-to' person for their most complex and challenging cases.  Often called upon to protect her clients, she ensures that they are safe, that they receive appropriate psychological or substance abuse help, and that they have an ally who will help them remain in the community and avoid becoming institutionalized.

Real-life solutions

For Susan, professional is personal. Like many in Rubin and Rudman's Trust Department, Susan often helps to manage large sums of money for her clients. Along the way, she is frequently called upon to help them with life-management skills. For example, acting as Trustee for a family faced with many physical challenges, Susan worked to stage an intervention which resulted in getting a stressed and addicted family member successfully into recovery.

In another case, Susan assumed responsibility for a wealthy client with a serious psychiatric diagnosis. By assembling a multidisciplinary team of financial experts, social workers, psychologists, and outreach workers, Susan secured safe housing for her client and has managed to keep her from being institutionalized. 

"We get rather intimately involved with our clients, but that's often what it takes when you are handling this level of complexity. The problems that our clients share with us are often heartbreaking, difficult, and multi-dimensional. They call for sensitive, practical, real-life solutions," she explains.

Services

• Provides estate planning services to individuals, families, and individuals with special needs.
• Litigates and advises on matters including estates, guardianships, and conservatorships.
• Serves as a Trustee.
• Assists clients in initially and continuing to qualify for Medicaid and Social Security benefits.
• Provides consultation to tort lawyers and divorce counsel as they evaluate settlement options.
• Advises clients on potential costs of care.

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