Richard H. Saxl
Top rated Estate Planning & Probate attorney in Westport, Connecticut
Richard H. Saxl, Attorney at Law
Practice areas: Estate Planning & Probate, Estate & Trust Litigation; view more
Licensed in Connecticut since: 1976
Education: Rutgers School of Law - Camden
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2012, 2014 - 2017, 2019 - 2025 Call today:
475-471-0025
Richard H. Saxl, Attorney at Law
265 Post Road WestWestport, CT 06880 Visit website
Attorney Richard H. Saxl focuses his Westport practice in the areas of estate planning and litigation relating to wills, trusts, estates and probate; pre-nuptial agreements; legal services for small businesses. He has argued and won cases in the Connecticut Superior Courts, the Connecticut Appellate Court and the Connecticut Supreme Court. Some of those cases have been landmark decisions. He has been practicing law in Westport for more than 35 years.
A passionate advocate, Mr. Saxl has represented clients all over Fairfield County, including Westport, Weston, Fairfield, Easton, Redding, Trumbull, Norwalk, Darien, New Canaan, Stamford and Greenwich. In addition to his practice, Mr. Saxl has taught probate administration at Fairfield University, has been a speaker to the bar association about zoning issues and served as a member of the board of directors of the Connecticut Association of Municipal Attorneys. He has also participated as a faculty member in numerous seminars on probate, estate planning, ethics, and probate litigation for National Business Institute.
Practice areas
Estate Planning & Probate, Estate & Trust LitigationFocus areas
Estate Planning, Living Wills, Power of Attorney, Probate & Estate Administration
- 80% Estate Planning & Probate
- 20% Estate & Trust Litigation
First Admitted: 1976, Connecticut
Professional Webpage: https://www.richardhsaxl.com/attorney/saxl-richard-h/
Bar / Professional Activity
- Has participated as a faculty member in some 25 seminars as a writer and speaker for National Business Institute in which he addressed attorneys who participate for credit for Connecticut's Continuing Legal Education requirements. Lectures have been written and presented on a variety of topics relating to estate planning, probate administration, legal ethics, and probate litigation. On Nov. 3, 2025, he participated in a seminar entitled "Connecticut Medicaid Asset Planning: A Practical Toolkit" where he presented a lecture entitled "Maintaining an Ethical Practice" which included 29 pages of text plus exhibits together with an extensive PowerPoint presentation. Over the last eight years he authored and presented numerous for NBI lectures including several lectures on Legal Ethics in Estate Administration including participation and presentation with a national panel of attorneys for a NBI seminar on "Advanced Estate Administration" on July 31, 2024. He also authored text and a produced a PowerPoint presentation for a lecture on December 19, 2024, for NBI for a seminar entitled "Advanced Estate Administration: A Connecticut Guide.", 2025
- Connecticut, 1976
Verdicts / Settlements (Case Results)
- Recently, after a hearing he obtained probate court approval allowing his client, an Agent holding a durable Power of Attorney, to disclaim on behalf of a semi-comatose principal substantial property in an estate which will save heirs of the principal in excess of $1 million in estate taxes. , 2025
- Closed out estate in excess of $60 million consisting of a variety of complex assets with valuation issues and estate paid no federal or CT Estate Taxes., 2023
- Successfully mediated estate with a variety of disputes involving family members with adverse interests., 2021
Pro bono / Community Service
- Town Attorney, Town of Fairfield. Responsible for all municipal legal matters not delegated to Assistant Town Attorneys.
- Represented a not for profit business entity and assisted it in acquiring multiple parcels of land need for expansion. Successfully defended client in litigation over a parcel acquired by client in a tax sale.
- Chair, Initial Fairfield Land Acquisition Committee
Educational Background
- University of Pennsylvania, B.A. Rutgers School of Law
Scholarly Lectures / Writings
- I have participated as a faculty member for numerous National Business Institute Seminars: Estate Administration from Start to Finish and Probate Boot Camp (2017); Trusts from A to Z, Estate Planning 7 Top Tools (2018); Trusts 101, Probate + Trust Administration; Estate Administration Procedures, Probate Boot Camp (2019); The Probate Process, Estate Planning (2020); The Probate Process, Tax Fundamentals Estate Planning (2021); Legal Ethics for Estate Planning and Probate (2022); Intestate Distributions (2022); Advanced Estate Administration, Ethics, and Complex Distributions, Beneficiary Disputes (2023); additional seminars relating to Estate Planning and Probate planned for (2024) ., Lecturer and author of seminar articles including Advanced Estate Administration: Complex Distributions and methods of resolving Beneficiary Disputes., Faculty, National Business Institute, 2025
- Lectures presented for National Business Institute: Probating Estates That Include a Business (2018); Probate Litigation (2018); Ethical Perils in the Probate Process (2020). Lectures written and presented for NBI: Probate Process and Overview (2019); Assets, Creditor Claims and Debt Considerations (2019); Ethical Challenges in Estate Administration (2019); Common Issues to be Prepared for in Litigation and Probate (2019); Ethics (2019); Probate Litigation (2019); Ethical Perils in the Probate Process (2020); Initial Filing in Probate Court and Estate Timeline (2020); Law of Intestate Succession (2020); Inventory and Appraisement (2020); Lectures written and presented with PowerPoint for NBI: Ethical Challenges in Estate Administration (2021); Tax Fundamentals for Estate Planning Attorneys (2021); Legal Ethics of Representing the Elderly and Disabled (2022); Connecticut Probate Process and Overview (2022); Assets, Creditors and Debt Considerations (2022); Probate Process and Overview (2022); Complex Distributions, Final Accounting and Estate Closing (2023); Beneficiary Disputes, Will and Trust Contests, and Other Probate Litigation (2023); Ethics and Estate Administration (2023); Ethics and Estate Administration (2024); Advanced Legal Ethics in Estate Administration (2024); Advanced Ethics in Estate Administration (2024)., Author of PowerPoint, author of text and Lecturer speaking for one hour on estate planning and probate topics for National Business Institute. Institute, Many, see below.
Other Outstanding Achievements
- Fairfield Town Attorney for 12 years.
Honors
- Awarded key to the Town of Fairfield, Connecticut by First Selectman., Awarded Key to the Town of Fairfield, Connecticut., First Selectman Kenneth A. Flatto, 2013
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2012, 2014 - 2017, 2019 - 2025
