Lori J. Perlman has over 27 years of experience providing legal advice and services to individuals and fiduciaries, primarily in connection with estate conflict resolution and Surrogate’s Court proceedings. Throughout her career, Lori has helped families resolve estate-related disputes, sometimes through negotiations, other times through litigation where negotiation fails. She has also negotiated and drafted contested marital agreements (prenuptial and post-nuptial agreements), complex Wills, and Trusts, including Special, Needs Trusts and has provided counsel to other law firms that required specialized knowledge of Surrogate’s Court procedure.
Lori began her career as an attorney in the Private Clients Group at White & Case in New York, serving as the liaison between the Litigation Department and the Private Clients Group. Lori left White & Case to join the staff of the New York County Surrogate’s Court as a Court Attorney Referee, where she supervised settlement conferences and presided over fact-finding hearings. Lori was later an attorney in the Trust & Estates departments of Graubard, Mollen & Miller, and Brauner Baron Rosenweig & Klein (now a part of Windels Marx, Lane & Mittendorf), both in New York City, and The Law Offices of Hugh Janow in Pearl River, New York.
Lori is an active member of the Trusts and Estates section of the New York State Bar Association, serving as a current member and the past Chair of the Practice and Ethics Committee and a member of the Surrogate’s Court Committee, and previously serving as vice-chair of the Technology Committee. Lori has presented continuing legal education seminars on probate proceedings for the NYSBA, and drafted course outlines on “Preparing for Estate Administration” and “Administration Proceedings” for the NYSBA Practical Skills Seminar on Probate and the Administration of Estates, as well as presenting informational seminars on Estate Planning, Health Care Proxies and Living Wills to various community groups in New York and New Jersey.
Lori lives in Princeton Junction, NJ, and has two sons, one at University of Rochester and one in high school. She has been active in her community, where she served as the webmaster and past Trustee of Technology on the Board of Beth El Synagogue of East Windsor, New Jersey, as the past Secretary on the Board of the West Windsor – Plainsboro Special Education Parent Teacher Student Association (SEPTSA), and as a past member of the WW-P School District’s Parent Advisory Committee. She was also a den leader for cub scout pack 66 in West Windsor, NJ. In her spare time, Lori enjoys making pottery.
Publications
• Locating and Identifying Distributees, New York State Bar Association Trusts and Estates Newsletter, Fall 2009.
• Preparing for Estate Administration, New York State Bar Association Practical Skills Seminar Coursebook, September 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008.
• Administration Proceedings in Surrogate’s Court, New York State Bar Association Practical Skills Seminar Coursebook, September 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008.
Professional Affiliations
• New York State Bar Association Trusts & Estates Section:
Practice & Ethics Committee, member 2012 – present, Chair 2011-2012, Vice-Chair 2009-2011; Technology Committee, Vice Chair 2007-2009; Committee on Surrogate’s Court, member 1998-present.
