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Christopher T. Tappan, J.D. — Client Services Director, Estate Planning
Christopher T. Tappan, J.D., Client Services Director for Estate Planning at Simon Law Group, LLC.
Christopher T. Tappan, J.D. is Client Services Director for Estate Planning at Simon Law Group, LLC. He is a non-bar staff member who supports estate-planning client services under attorney supervision; he does not practice law, and all legal advice is provided by the firm’s licensed attorneys.
Role
Christopher T. Tappan, J.D. serves as Client Services Director, Estate Planning at Simon Law Group, LLC. His work is administrative, editorial, and client-services oriented. He helps organize estate-planning intake information, coordinates signing logistics, prepares clients for meetings with the supervising attorney, and reviews estate-planning web content for clarity and consistency. He does not give legal advice, draft legal documents, or replace the role of the attorney assigned to any matter.
Important Licensure Notice
Mr. Tappan is not admitted to the New Jersey Bar and does not practice law. He does not represent clients in court, provide legal advice, set legal strategy, draft legal opinions, negotiate on a client’s behalf, or decide what estate-planning documents a client should sign. Those functions are handled by New Jersey-licensed attorneys at the firm.
The use of “J.D.” identifies a law degree. It does not mean that Mr. Tappan is licensed to practice law in New Jersey. When a page lists him as a reviewer, the review is for editorial clarity, structure, consistency, and readability. The responsible attorney named in the page frontmatter remains responsible for legal substance.
This staffing model operates under attorney supervision consistent with the New Jersey Rules of Professional Conduct, including rules concerning nonlawyer assistance, unauthorized practice, fees, communication, and client confidentiality.
Estate-Planning Client Services
Estate-planning work is document-heavy. Before legal advice can be given on a will, trust, power of attorney, health care directive, beneficiary issue, or probate question, the firm usually needs accurate names, family relationships, asset categories, prior documents, fiduciary choices, and signing logistics. Mr. Tappan helps collect and organize that information for review by the licensed legal team.
Typical support tasks may include:
- Gathering family, asset, beneficiary, and fiduciary information for attorney review.
- Scheduling meetings, signing appointments, witnesses, and notary logistics.
- Helping clients identify the documents they should bring to an attorney meeting.
- Preparing administrative checklists for estate-plan execution.
- Sending substantive legal questions to the supervising attorney.
- Reviewing public estate-planning pages for plain-language consistency.
None of those tasks replace attorney advice. If a client asks what a document should say, how tax or probate law applies, who should serve as fiduciary, whether a trust is appropriate, or how to resolve a family dispute, the question is submitted to an attorney.
Attorney Supervision
Estate-planning matters at Simon Law Group are supervised by a New Jersey-licensed attorney. Britt J. Simon, Esq., Managing Partner, serves as responsible attorney for estate-planning content and for this staff profile unless another responsible attorney is named in a specific engagement. Attorney supervision encompasses conflict review, engagement scope, legal advice, document drafting or review, execution requirements, and all final legal work product.
Formalities matter in estate-planning documents. New Jersey law and court procedure govern signature requirements, witness and notary standards, probate filings, trust administration, guardianship proceedings, and fiduciary accounting. Mr. Tappan may coordinate logistics and client preparation; responsibility for meeting those legal requirements remains with the licensed attorney assigned to the matter.
Background
Mr. Tappan holds a J.D. and works in client services rather than as a practicing attorney. His background spans legal research support, content editing, process coordination, and estate-planning client preparation. Simon Law Group presents his role and credentials transparently so prospective clients can clearly distinguish attorney legal services from nonlawyer staff support — a distinction that matters both ethically and practically when seeking legal help.
Process for Estate-Planning Clients
- Initial coordination. Staff collect names, contact details, family structure, broad asset categories, and scheduling needs.
- Conflict and scope review. The firm checks conflicts and determines whether the requested work fits the estate-planning practice.
- Attorney meeting. A licensed attorney reviews goals, facts, risks, and document options.
- Document workflow. The attorney prepares or reviews legal documents; staff coordinate drafts, questions, appointments, and execution logistics.
- Signing and storage guidance. The attorney supervises legal execution requirements, while staff help with copies, delivery, and follow-up logistics.
Contact
To begin an estate-planning matter, call (800) 709-1131 or submit the contact form. The intake team will review the information provided, check conflict and scope, and help identify next steps. Mr. Tappan may assist with file preparation and scheduling; legal advice comes from the attorney assigned to the matter following conflict review and engagement confirmation.
Walk-in appointments are welcome at the Somerville office (40 West High Street, Somerville, NJ 08876, Monday—Friday 9 a.m.—5 p.m.). Appointments at Morristown (55 Madison Avenue, Suite 400) and Flemington (39 Route 12, Feed Mill Station) are available when appropriate.
Submitting a contact form or calling the firm does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send confidential information until the firm confirms it can discuss your matter.
Frequently asked questions
▸ Does Mr. Tappan provide legal advice?
No. Mr. Tappan is not licensed to practice law in New Jersey. He handles client-service coordination and editorial review. Legal advice is provided by the firm's attorneys.
▸ What does Client Services Director mean?
It means Mr. Tappan helps organize information, scheduling, document logistics, and client preparation for the estate-planning team. The title does not authorize him to practice law or replace attorney review.
▸ Why is he listed as a reviewer on estate-planning content?
Reviewer status means he reviewed the page for clarity, consistency, and usability. The legal substance remains the responsibility of the responsible attorney named on the page.
▸ Who supervises estate-planning work?
Estate-planning legal work is supervised by New Jersey-licensed attorneys at Simon Law Group, LLC. Britt J. Simon, Esq. is listed as Managing Partner and responsible attorney for this staff profile.
▸ Which office handles estate-planning signings?
Most estate-planning signings are coordinated through the Somerville office at 40 West High Street, Somerville, NJ 08876 (walk-ins welcome, Monday–Friday 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; free and metered street parking, plus a paid lot directly across the street). Appointments at the Morristown office (55 Madison Avenue, Suite 400) and the Flemington office (39 Route 12, Feed Mill Station) are available when appropriate. Staff confirm location, timing, witness, and notary logistics after attorney review.
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**Responsible Attorney:** Britt J. Simon, Esq., Managing Partner, Simon Law Group, LLC.
Sources & authorities
- New Jersey Courts - Rules of Court (incl. Rules of Professional Conduct)
- New Jersey Legislature - Official Statutes Downloads
Reviewed by Britt J. Simon, Esq., Managing Partner — May 2026
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