Law Office of Farhad Ghaussy

Estate Planning and Nonprofit Counsel · New York

Protection for your family. Strength for the causes you serve.

Clear advice and careful planning for families and nonprofits across New York. Start with a free 15-minute call: (917) 336-1470 or info@pietas.law.

Estate Planning

A good estate plan protects the people you love and makes sure your wishes are carried out. Without one, New York law decides who inherits and who makes decisions for you. I'll explain your options clearly, help you choose, and keep your plan current as your life changes. Who it's for: individuals and families putting a first plan in place, updating an older one, planning for a blended family, or caring for aging parents.

  • Wills — clear documents that reflect your wishes, updated as your life changes
  • Revocable living trusts — drafted and funded, with your accounts and property moved into the trust so it protects your family as intended
  • Health care proxies and powers of attorney — so someone you trust can act for you if you can't
  • Children's care directive — naming guardians for your minor children, including who can step in right away in an emergency, with written guidance about their care
  • Blended-family planning — providing for your spouse and for children from earlier relationships, fairly and with less room for conflict
  • Planning with aging parents — helping parents and their adult children put powers of attorney, health care proxies and a clear care plan in place, so everyone knows who does what
  • Charitable giving in your plan — bequests, donor-advised funds and gifts to the causes you care about
  • Plan reviews — a fresh look every few years or after a big life change, including checking that your accounts and beneficiary designations match your plan

Nonprofit Counsel

A nonprofit begins with a mission. It lasts because of a strong foundation: the right structure, clear governance and filings kept up to date. I help founders set up correctly and serve as ongoing counsel to boards and leaders as the organization grows. Who it's for: founders starting a new organization, boards of established nonprofits, and families forming or running a foundation.

  • Nonprofit formation — choosing the right structure and handling the filings to get you started
  • 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status — preparing and filing your application for federal recognition
  • New York charities registration — registering with the Attorney General's Charities Bureau and keeping annual filings current
  • Bylaws and governance policies — bylaws, conflict-of-interest and gift acceptance policies that match how your organization runs
  • Board guidance — helping directors understand their legal duties
  • Fractional in-house counsel — ongoing outside general counsel for contracts, employment policies, IP and vendor agreements, without the cost of a full-time hire
  • Family foundations — forming and advising private foundations for families who want to give together
  • Compliance check-ins — regular reviews that keep established nonprofits on solid ground

How I Work

  1. 1. A free 15-minute call.

    We talk through your situation and whether I'm the right fit. No charge and no obligation.

  2. 2. Clear options, in plain English.

    I explain your choices and what each one means, so you can decide with confidence.

  3. 3. Protection that holds up.

    Estate plans are drafted with WealthCounsel's document system, used by estate planning attorneys nationwide. Every plan and filing is signed correctly and, where needed, funded or filed.

  4. 4. Here for the long run.

    As your family or organization changes, I'm here to review and update what we've built together.

Why This Work Matters

Legacy

Caring for the generation before us, protecting the one after, and serving the community we share. That's the heart of this work.

Protecting your family

A plan that reflects the people you love, explained clearly and kept up to date.

Strengthening your organization

A nonprofit on solid ground, with governance and filings that keep pace as it grows.

Giving with intention

Research on giving shows people find more meaning in a gift tied to a clear purpose. Planning your giving with intention serves you and the causes you support.

One conversation can cover your family and the causes you care about.

Contact

About

Law Office of Farhad Ghaussy

Farhad Ghaussy, Esq.

Admitted
New York
Education
Georgetown University Law Center, J.D.
Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po), Diplôme
UC Berkeley, B.A.
Member
WealthCounsel

Contact

I've spent my career helping people build things that last.

I started as a corporate lawyer in New York and Paris. Then I spent nearly two decades in public service with the U.S. government, in Washington and at embassies overseas: first as a diplomat and development lawyer, later leading economic growth programs in countries including Kenya, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Ukraine and Indonesia. Much of that work meant helping local organizations grow strong enough to stand on their own.

Closer to home, I'm part of a blended family, and I help care for my own parents. Between the two, I understand from the inside what a plan needs to do for the people who live with it.

I started this practice to protect families and serve the communities they belong to. I explain your options clearly, help you choose, and I'm still here years later as life changes.

I work with clients by phone and video across New York. I also speak French.

Common Questions

Don't see your question? Ask it on your free 15-minute call.

Is the first call really free?

Yes. The first 15-minute call is free, with no obligation. It's a chance to talk through what you need and see whether I'm the right fit.

Do we need to meet in person?

No. I work with clients by phone and video anywhere in New York. When it's time to sign, I'll explain how signing works under New York law and help arrange it.

Do you handle probate?

My practice focuses on planning, which often helps families avoid probate. If an estate needs to go through Surrogate's Court, I'll help you find experienced counsel.

How does working together begin?

With the free call. If we decide to work together, I'll send a written engagement letter that sets out the scope and fee before any work begins.

Can I send documents before we talk?

Please describe your situation in general terms and hold off on sending documents until we've agreed in writing to work together.

Contact

Telephone
(917) 336-1470
Email
Office
Law Office of Farhad Ghaussy
43 West 43rd Street, Suite 494
New York, NY 10036-7424
Consultations
By phone and video, anywhere in New York. The first 15-minute call is free.

Inquiry form

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