The surrogate in Suffolk County must determine whether a $590,000 fee paid to an attorney who spent “several days” negotiating a settlement in a will dispute was reasonable, a unanimous panel of the Appellate Division, Second Department, has ruled.

The decision in Matter of Talbot, 4067/10, gives Karen Cullin, the sole beneficiary of a $5 million estate, a chance to reclaim a portion of the contingency fee she had already paid an attorney under the terms of a retainer agreement.