10 Best Estate Planning Lawyers in Naugatuck, CT

This guide compares the Best Estate Planning Lawyers in Naugatuck, CT, and nine other estate planning law firms serving Naugatuck, Connecticut, including three with offices in Naugatuck itself and seven in neighboring Waterbury, Prospect, Woodbury, and Cheshire. Firms were evaluated based on the depth of their estate planning and probate work, including wills, trusts, powers of attorney, estate administration, and elder law; attorney credentials, such as Super Lawyers and Rising Stars selections; years in practice; and whether estate planning is a dedicated focus or one area within a general practice.

When comparing options, three practical questions matter most. Does the attorney handle both the planning documents and the later probate administration, so one office knows your file from start to finish? Does the firm offer the specialized planning your situation calls for, such as Medicaid and special needs planning, asset protection, or business succession? And is the firm a solo practice, a small boutique or a larger multi-practice firm, which affects who you work with day to day.

1. Burns Thomas, LLC

• Attorneys/Key Figures: William P. Burns Jr. and Christine L. Thomas, attorneys
• Headquarters: 520 South Main St., Naugatuck, CT 06770
• Phone: 203-723-9420
• Website: burnsthomas.com
• Practice Areas: Estate planning, asset protection planning, wills and trusts, probate and estate administration, crypto legacy planning
• Firm Size: Boutique, two named attorneys
• Practice Area Page: Naugatuck Estate Planning Lawyer
• Social Profiles: Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram

About The Firm: Burns Thomas is one of the few Naugatuck firms that puts estate planning at the center of its practice. William Burns came to estate work after years as a family lawyer, where he saw plans fail and inheritances end up with the wrong people. He earned his law degree at Quinnipiac University School of Law, where he led the Tax Law Society and directed its volunteer tax assistance program, and he is licensed in both Connecticut state and federal courts. Super Lawyers has listed him among its Rising Stars for estate planning and probate.

The firm describes itself as not a volume practice, and its service list goes beyond standard documents to include asset protection planning and crypto legacy planning for clients holding digital assets. It also serves out-of-state clients with Connecticut property by handling local probate steps. With two attorneys, clients get a small team rather than a large bench, which suits those who want direct contact.

2. Stutsky Law, LLC

• Attorney/Key Figure: Russell Stutsky, Founder
• Headquarters: 180 Church St. #3, Naugatuck, CT 06770
• Phone: 203-729-5217
• Website: stutskylaw.com
• Practice Areas: Estate planning (wills and living wills), estate administration and probate, residential and commercial real estate
• Firm Size: Solo practice

About The Firm: Russell Stutsky graduated from Quinnipiac University School of Law and was admitted to the Connecticut bar in 2009. He joined the Naugatuck practice of attorney N. Warren Hess III, took over the practice when Hess retired from private practice in 2015, and opened Stutsky Law in 2017. Super Lawyers named him a Rising Star in 2021 and 2022.

His estate work centers on will drafting, living wills and guiding families through the Connecticut probate courts, alongside a real estate practice that includes closings and commercial transactions. That pairing helps when an estate includes a house that needs to be transferred or sold. As a solo practitioner, he handles matters personally, though the firm has no bench of additional attorneys for larger or more complex trust structures.

3. The Law Office of Miller & Tasho

• Attorneys/Key Figures: Daniel H. Miller and Artila Tasho, attorneys
• Headquarters: 228 Meadow Street, Suite 103, Waterbury, CT 06702
• Website: millertasho.com
• Practice Areas: Estate planning (wills, trusts, powers of attorney, living wills, probate), family law, real estate
• Firm Size: Boutique, two attorneys

About The Firm: Daniel Miller was admitted to practice in 2007 and is a Super Lawyers selectee, and Artila Tasho is a Super Lawyers Rising Star. The firm sits near the Waterbury courts and serves surrounding towns, with Naugatuck among those it lists for its real estate work. Its estate planning page covers drafting wills, setting up trusts, navigating probate and managing estates.

Family law is the firm’s headline strength, and the partners note that it is the only Waterbury office with two Super Lawyers in that field. For Naugatuck residents, that matters when an estate plan overlaps with divorce, remarriage or blended-family concerns. Because the office is a general practice, estate planning is one of three listed practice areas rather than the sole focus.

4. Giuliano Richardson & Sfara LLC

• Attorneys/Key Figures: David L. Sfara, Partner; L. Joyelle Maini, Attorney
• Headquarters: 39 Sherman Hill Road, Woodbury, CT 06798 (satellite office: 500 Post Road E., Westport, CT 06880)
• Phone: 203-263-0330
• Website: grslaw.com
• Practice Areas: Estate planning and probate, elder law, estate and trust litigation, family law and mediation, personal injury
• Firm Size: Boutique to mid-size, with several attorneys

About The Firm: David Sfara has been licensed for roughly five decades and served on the Connecticut Bar Association’s Estates and Probate Section executive committee from 1983 to 2000. His work spans estate planning, estate and trust administration, business succession for family-held enterprises, and representation of nonprofit and creative-arts clients. L. Joyelle Maini, admitted in 2006 and a Quinnipiac law graduate, was a Super Lawyers Rising Star in 2013 and 2015 through 2016.

The firm’s strength is range: it can handle a straightforward will, a contested estate or a trust dispute under one roof. Estate planning shares the firm with a substantial family law and personal injury practice, so clients seeking an estate-only office may find the mix broader than they need.

5. Lisa C. Dumond of ZNC Law | Zeldes Needle & Cooper, P.C.

• Attorney/Key Figure: Lisa C. Dumond, Partner
• Headquarters: 50 Waterbury Road, Suite 2C, Prospect, CT 06712 (satellite office of ZNC Law)
• Phone: 203-574-7845 (toll-free 800-772-1167)
• Website: dumondlawfirm.com
• Practice Areas: Wills and estate planning, probate administration, elder law, family law, real estate
• Firm Size: Satellite office of a larger firm, Zeldes Needle & Cooper, P.C.

About The Firm: Lisa Dumond graduated with honors from Quinnipiac University School of Law, earning a Distinguished Academic Achievement Award in constitutional law. She started her own firm in Waterbury, later moved it to Prospect, and now practices as a partner with Zeldes Needle & Cooper. She has also taught wills, trusts and estate administration as an associate professor in Post University’s legal studies program since 2011, and she belongs to the Connecticut Bar Association’s real estate, estates and family law sections and the Waterbury Bar Association.

Prospect borders Naugatuck, making this one of the closest offices outside the borough, and the affiliation with a larger firm adds depth for matters that need additional attorneys. Family law is a major part of her caseload, so estate planning is one of several focus areas.

6. Knott & Santoro, LLC

• Attorneys/Key Figures: Andrew S. Knott and Robert J. Santoro, Partners
• Headquarters: 125 Main Street, Cheshire, CT 06410
• Phone: 203-271-3031
• Website: knottlaw.com
• Practice Areas: Estate planning, wills, trusts, estate administration, probate litigation, special needs law, elder law
• Firm Size: Boutique, two attorneys

About The Firm: Knott & Santoro says it has operated since 1918 and focuses primarily on estate planning, wills, trusts, estate administration, special needs law and elder law. Both partners appear on Super Lawyers lists. Robert Santoro, admitted in Connecticut in 2015 and a Quinnipiac graduate, serves on the Connecticut Bar Association’s Elder Law Section executive committee, and the firm has represented municipalities including the Town of Cheshire and the Town of Bethany.

That combination of a century-old name and a dedicated estate and elder law focus makes it one of the more specialized options on this list. The office is in Cheshire rather than Naugatuck, so Naugatuck clients should expect a short drive.

7. Grady & Riley, LLP

• Attorney/Key Figure: Anthony M. DiBona, Partner
• Headquarters: 86 Buckingham Street, Waterbury, CT 06710 (additional office in Woodbury)
• Phone: 203-575-1131
• Website: gradyriley.com
• Practice Areas: Wills and trusts, probate and trust administration, Medicaid (Title XIX) applications, special needs trusts, tax planning, real estate, business transactions
• Firm Size: Mid-size, with multiple partners and associates, formed by merger in 1984

About The Firm: Anthony DiBona is a Quinnipiac law graduate admitted in 2014 and was named a Super Lawyers Rising Star each year from 2020 through 2024. His practice covers wills and trusts, probate and trust administration, Medicaid applications, special needs trusts, tax planning and business transactions. The firm routinely does estate planning for families with special needs children and for municipal workers coordinating pensions and retirement benefits.

As a larger firm with offices in Waterbury and Woodbury, it can bring several attorneys to a complex matter. The trade-off is that estate planning sits alongside workers’ compensation, personal injury and other litigation, so clients are one of many practice areas rather than the firm’s sole focus.

8. Law Office of Julia M. Brown, LLC

• Attorney/Key Figure: Julia M. Brown, Founding Principal
• Headquarters: 934 Chase Parkway, Waterbury, CT 06708
• Phone: 203-755-6277
• Website: juliambrown.com
• Practice Areas: Elder law, estate planning (trusts, wills, health care directives), Medicaid and long-term care planning, special needs planning, probate administration, veterans aid and attendance
• Firm Size: Solo practice

About The Firm: Julia Brown has practiced in Connecticut since 1986, founded her firm in 1994 and holds the National Elder Law Foundation’s Certified Elder Law Attorney credential. Super Lawyers has selected her every year from 2007 through 2025. Before opening the firm she worked as an attorney with Connecticut Legal Services on issues affecting older adults, and she has lectured for the Connecticut Bar, AARP and the Alzheimer’s Association.

Her focus is estate planning tied to aging, disability and long-term care, including Medicaid eligibility, life care planning and transitions into nursing homes or assisted living. That makes her a strong match for families planning around a parent’s care needs. As a solo practice, it has no additional attorneys on staff.

9. The Donnarumma Law Firm, LLC

• Attorney/Key Figure: Francis M. Donnarumma, Founder
• Headquarters: 428 Main Street South, Pilgrims Mall, Woodbury, CT 06798
• Website: donnarummalawfirm.com
• Practice Areas: Real estate, estate planning, wills and trusts, probate and estate administration, personal injury
• Firm Size: Solo practice

About The Firm: Francis Donnarumma graduated from the Columbus School of Law at The Catholic University of America in 1978 and has been in private practice since then. His firm serves clients across Litchfield, Fairfield and New Haven counties and helps with wills, trusts, probate and estate administration alongside real estate and personal injury matters.

More than four decades of practice give him deep familiarity with Connecticut closings and probate filings, which is useful when an estate includes real property. Real estate accounts for most of his caseload, and estate planning is a smaller share of the work, so the firm suits clients whose plan is closely tied to property.

10. Heritage Law LLC

• Attorneys/Key Figures: Lisa E. Wnuck, Founder; Elizabeth A. Fisher, Partner
• Headquarters: 493 Heritage Road, Suite 2C, Southbury, CT 06488 (additional office in Cheshire)
• Phone: 203-586-1445
• Website: heritagelawct.com
• Practice Areas: Probate and estate settlement, trust settlement and administration, ancillary probate, probate accountings, elder estate planning
• Firm Size: Small firm with two attorneys and a probate paralegal team of roughly ten staff

About The Firm: Lisa Wnuck began practicing in 1987 at a New Haven firm, now Withers Bergman, and has focused on probate, estate settlement and trust administration ever since. She is a Georgetown University Law Center graduate, belongs to the Connecticut Bar Association’s Estates and Probate and Elder Law sections, and holds NAELA and ABA real property, trust and estate memberships. Elizabeth Fisher, a Northeastern University School of Law graduate, has handled estate and trust administration since 2017 and joined the firm in 2021. Avvo lists Wnuck with a 9.4 rating.

The firm’s strength is the administration side: settling estates, handling accountings and managing probate for out-of-state decedents with Connecticut assets. Its Avvo profile lists estate planning as a smaller share of the practice, so it fits families who have lost a loved one or are serving as executor, more than those looking for a first-time plan. The main office is in Southbury, a longer drive from Naugatuck than the other firms here.

Naugatuck, CT Estate Planning Resources

• Connecticut Judicial Branch: Provides information about probate proceedings, wills, conservatorships, and estate administration.
• Naugatuck Probate Court: Helps residents access local probate services and information about estate matters, guardianships, and related court procedures. 
• Connecticut Bar Association: Offers legal resources and guidance for finding qualified estate planning attorneys in Connecticut.
• Connecticut Department of Revenue Services: Provides information about Connecticut estate and gift tax requirements, filing obligations, and related regulations.
• Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection: Offers consumer guidance and resources that can help residents make informed decisions about legal and financial services.
• Social Security Administration: Provides information about survivor benefits and other programs families may consider when planning their estates.

Common Questions About the Best Estate Planning Lawyers in Naugatuck, CT

Who are the best estate planning lawyers in Naugatuck, CT?

The best estate planning lawyers in Naugatuck depend on what you need. Burns Thomas, LLC and Stutsky Law, LLC are the two firms on this list with offices in Naugatuck itself, with Burns Thomas focused on estate planning, asset protection, and probate, and Stutsky Law pairing wills and probate with real estate work. Nearby, Knott & Santoro, LLC in Cheshire and Julia M. Brown in Waterbury concentrate on estate and elder law, while Grady & Riley, LLP and Giuliano Richardson & Sfara LLC offer larger teams for complex matters. Compare attorney credentials, practice focus and firm size against your situation before choosing.

Does Connecticut have an estate tax, and who has to pay it?

Yes. Connecticut imposes a flat 12% estate tax, and for people who die in 2026 the exemption is $15 million, matching the federal amount. Only the portion of a taxable estate above that threshold is taxed, and total Connecticut estate and gift tax is capped at $15 million. Connecticut has no inheritance tax, but it is the only state with its own gift tax, which is unified with the estate tax so taxable gifts reduce the exemption left at death. Firms such as Burns Thomas, LLC address estate tax exposure as part of their asset protection planning for larger estates.

What documents make up a basic estate plan in Connecticut?

A typical plan includes a will, a durable power of attorney, and health care directives such as a living will and health care representative designation. Stutsky Law, LLC lists wills and living wills among its planning services, and Miller & Tasho covers wills, trusts, powers of attorney and living wills. Families with property in more than one state, minor children or a blended family often add a revocable or irrevocable trust, which firms such as Knott & Santoro, LLC and Burns Thomas, LLC build into their estate planning services.

How does probate work for a Naugatuck resident?

Probate in Connecticut runs through the state’s local probate courts, where a will is validated and an executor or administrator is appointed to settle the estate. Lawyers who handle estate administration, including Stutsky Law, LLC, Lisa C. Dumond of ZNC Law and the probate-focused team at Heritage Law LLC, guide executors through filings and court appearances. Planning ahead with a trust or other tools can reduce what has to pass through probate, which Burns Thomas, LLC and Knott & Santoro, LLC both describe as part of their estate planning work.

When should I consider Medicaid or special needs planning?

Consider it when a family member needs or may soon need long-term care, or when a child or adult with disabilities will rely on public benefits. Julia M. Brown, a Certified Elder Law Attorney, focuses on Medicaid eligibility, long-term care planning and special needs planning, and Grady & Riley, LLP handles Medicaid (Title XIX) applications and special needs trusts. Knott & Santoro, LLC also lists special needs law and elder law among its core services.

Should I choose a solo attorney, a boutique or a larger firm?

A solo practitioner such as Russell Stutsky or Julia Brown gives direct access to the person handling the file. A small boutique like Burns Thomas or Knott & Santoro adds a second attorney while keeping the team compact. A larger firm such as Giuliano Richardson & Sfara or Grady & Riley can bring multiple lawyers to complex matters like contested estates, business succession or trust litigation. The right fit depends on how complex the estate is and how much continuity you want.

What is crypto legacy planning, and do I need it?

Crypto legacy planning is estate planning for digital assets, so that cryptocurrency and other online holdings can be located and passed to heirs rather than lost. If you own digital assets, ask any firm whether it includes them in its inventory of assets, powers of attorney and trust funding. Burns Thomas, LLC lists crypto legacy planning as one of its five core practice areas.

Final Thoughts on the Best Estate Planning Lawyers in Naugatuck, CT

Choosing among the Best Estate Planning Lawyers in Naugatuck, CT depends on your family’s needs, financial situation, and long-term goals. Whether you need a will, living trust, probate assistance, asset protection, or Medicaid and special needs planning, compare each firm’s experience, services, and consultation options before making a decision. Best Lawyers List provides this guide to help you evaluate local law firms and understand their areas of focus. Verify attorney credentials through the Connecticut Bar Association and discuss fees before hiring a lawyer. A well-prepared estate plan can help protect your assets, clarify your wishes, and simplify the transfer of property to your loved ones.

Disclaimer: The information provided in “10 Best Estate Planning Lawyers in Naugatuck, CT” is for general informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship. Rankings or inclusions on this list do not represent an official endorsement or guarantee of legal outcomes. Attorney qualifications, licenses, and standing with the Connecticut Bar can change; users should independently verify credentials and consult with a qualified attorney licensed in Connecticut before retaining legal counsel.