We Make Estate Planning
SIMPLE AND CONVENIENT
Ellen M. Goodman, Esq.
Comprehensive Estate Planning
- Comprehensive Estate Plans
- Revocable Living Trusts
- Advance Health Care Directives
- Irrevocable Special-Use Trusts
- Asset Protection Entities
- Powers of Attorney
Protect Yourself and Your Family with a Comprehensive Estate Plan of Your Choosing
With compassion and integrity, you can count on Ellen M. Goodman, Esq. to give you the counsel and guidance you need to ensure your wishes are clear and your family is secure.
Schedule your FREE Peace of Mind Planning Session
- 1 I will answer all your questions and listen as you share your goals, concerns, and objectives.
- 2 I’ll map out your options including a Will versus a Trust, so you can make educated, informed decisions about what is best for your family.
- 3 I’ll thoroughly review our process and unique flat fee pricing so you know exactly how much your investment will be and how long it will take.
- 4 Then, if we decide we’re a good fit to work together, we’ll discuss next steps. And if not, that’s fine too!
- 5 Either way, you’ll leave our session clearer than ever before about what you really need (and really don’t need!) to secure your family future.
Frequently Asked Questions
Attorney Ellen M. Goodman’s estate planning practice focuses on helping individuals and families make important decisions today to avoid unnecessary pain and conflict tomorrow. She believes Estate Planning is a deeply personal matter. She will help you navigate Estate Planning in plain English, not legalese. She is dedicated to protecting your hard-earned estate, big or small, will work diligently to ensure it will pass to your intended beneficiaries and that your final wishes are carried out as intended.
Ellen received her Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from Widener University School of Law in Wilmington, Delaware. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from William Smith College in Geneva, New York.
Ellen is a New Jersey native and is licensed to practice law in New Jersey. In her spare time, Ellen enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters, as well as traveling and summers on Lake Hopatcong.
Goodman Law Office LLC is a boutique, women-owned law firm based in Morris County, New Jersey. We serve New Jersey residents counseling on Estate Planning and preparing comprehensive estate plans.
Follow us on Instagram @GoodmanLawOffice
We have a streamlined, 3-step process designed to allow for counseling and guidance by me and to have your trust and other estate planning documents created and signed in 6-8 weeks.
*The first step is to attend your Peace of Mind Planning Session. You’ll fill out a secure online questionnaire (“Family Profile”) before we meet so that we can have an efficient meeting. At this Zoom session, you will learn all about your options and flat fees. When you are ready to move forward, Goodman Law will email you an engagement letter and invoice, both of which can be executed online.
*The second step is our Estate Plan Design Meeting. At this meeting, we will design your Will or Trust and all other estate planning documents, based on the information you provided in your Family Profile. After this session, Goodman Law will draft your documents and send you a copy for review about two weeks later. Any requested changes or updated will be incorporated before finalizing the documents.
*The final step is the in-person Signing Ceremony. At this meeting, you will sign your documents in front of two witnesses and a notary. Following execution of the documents, we are available for free, unlimited lifetime consultations regarding your Estate Plan.
An attorney who listens without interrupting and makes sure you fully understand your options before making any decisions! I wouldn’t be doing my job as an attorney otherwise. It’s very important to me that you feel heard and have your questions answered. We’ll also review our process, flat fees, and overall client experience so you know exactly what you are getting and what the investment will be.
When you are ready to move forward, whether at your Peace of Mind Planning Session, or later, let me know. We’ll send you an engagement letter via DocuSign and an invoice via our secure online payment provider. Once these housekeeping items are taken care of, you’ll schedule your Estate Plan Design Meeting.
Let me start by saying what we do NOT need! We do NOT need account statements, social security numbers, or tax returns. We DO need information on what kind of assets you own (house, retirement account, life insurance, etc.), their relative value, and how they are titled (jointly, individually, etc.) Beyond that, we simply need answers to questions about your personal estate planning preferences, including:
* Who you would want raising your minor children if something happened to you and your spouse or partner
* Who you want to be in charge of your children’s money until they are old enough to mange it themselves
* Who you want making medical and financial decisions for you in the event of your incapacity
Don’t worry if you don’t have the answers to these questions right away! You’ll have plenty of time to think things over throughout the process.
Estate planning is the process of getting legal documents in place so that your chosen individuals are appointed to take care of you, your children, your assets, and your finances in the event of your death or incapacity. The process also involves naming the people you want to inherit your assets when you are gone. An “estate plan” is a bundle of all the documents needed to accomplish these objectives.
If you don’t currently have a will or trust, you may think you don’t have an estate plan….but you do. It’s just that the state of New Jersey has written it for you! All states have a default plan for your family and assets in the event of your incapacity or death. That’s the plan you have now. Estate planning is “opting out” of the default plan and putting your own wishes in place.
It depends! Estate planning is not one size fits all, so it’s hard for us to give you a quote without knowing more about you. Even if you believe your situation is relatively simple, there are likely nuances you are not considering. We discuss our fees and process at length in the Peace of Mind Planning Session, after we have counseled you on all your options. We do not discuss our fees outside the Peace of Mind Planning Session.
We understand that cost is an important factor in choosing an attorney, and that estate planning is a significant investment for many. It is our goal to be as transparent and fair as possible. For that reason, we offer flat fees as opposed to billing by the hour, so you know exactly what your investment will be.
Finally, we will only recommend planning with us if the amount you would save by doing an estate plan is greater than our fee.
Our process is designed to have your estate planning documents signed within 6-8 weeks of your Peace of Mind Planning Session. It depends in part on your schedule and how long it takes for you to review your draft documents.
No. Wills, trusts, and other estate planning documents need to be signed with very specific formalities or they will not be considered legally valid. That means signing in person, in front of 2 witnesses. The witnesses are there to confirm you are lucid and not under duress. Any changes you make to your documents in the future will need to be executed with the same legal formalities.
We take on a limited clientele each month so we can offer a high level of service to each family. We work with people who value our advice and are seeking a long-term working relationship. If you are looking for the cheapest attorney you can find, do not want to devote time to learning about and understanding your options, or do not feel comfortable completing the Family Profile before our session, we are not the right law firm for you, and would be happy to refer you to a lawyer who may be a better fit.
You have two options with your estate planning: a will-based plan, or a living trust-based plan. A living trust is a document where you appoint a chosen individual to manage your assets should you become incapacitated and distribute them to your family at your death. It is almost always preferrable to a will because it is designed to avoid the time, expense, and publicity of probate, which a will cannot avoid.
It comes as a surprise to many that wills do not avoid probate court…they guarantee it!
I will go over the difference between a will and a living revocable trust in depth during the Peace of Mind Planning Session and you can decide what is best for you and your loved ones.
Probate is the legal process overseen by the court to manage your estate after your passing. If you don’t have a will, your estate must go through probate before your assets can be distributed to your heirs. Surprisingly, even if you do have a will, your estate still undergoes probate. The only way to avoid this process is by establishing a revocable living trust.
Why is probate undesirable? Even a straightforward probate case can drag on for years and can consume a significant portion of the estate’s assets during the process. Moreover, it’s a public proceeding, which means your will becomes accessible to anyone interested.
While a will is subject to probate, a living trust is specifically designed to bypass this complicated and time-consuming legal procedure entirely.
Regrettably, even a basic will is susceptible to the costs and delays associated with probate. It’s not the intricacy of the document that leads to these expenses and time delays; rather, it’s the probate process itself. Due to this factor, many of my clients opt for establishing a living trust instead of a will. Living trusts are crafted for simplicity and are specifically designed to bypass the probate process entirely.
Nevertheless, as part of a comprehensive estate plan, a unique document known as a “pour-over” will is utilized. This special will serves the purpose of appointing guardians for any minor children who are alive at the time of your passing, ensuring their well-being is accounted for within the overall estate planning strategy.
Nope! Estate planning is not exclusive to individuals with significant wealth, marital status, or parenthood. It’s a misconception to associate it solely with these factors. Estate planning involves the essential task of putting legal documents in place to ensure your assets are distributed according to your wishes after your passing. Its purpose is to simplify matters for your loved ones during a challenging period.
Moreover, estate planning encompasses appointing individuals to manage your property and make healthcare decisions on your behalf if you become incapacitated. This aspect of planning is crucial for everyone, regardless of their financial status. It’s about ensuring your desires are respected and your affairs are handled as you wish, regardless of how much or how little money you have.
A power of attorney lets you appoint someone to manage your property in the event of your incapacity. You will name someone you trust implicitly as your “agent”. They will step into your shoes and pay your bills, file your taxes, manage your business, etc. if you cannot.
We include a power of attorney for both spouses in every estate plan we create.
A health care proxy allows you to appoint someone you trust to manage your medical decisions should you be unable to do so. A living will (not to be confused with a living trust or last will and testament) allows you to make certain medical decisions regarding end-of-life decisions, ahead of time.
We include a health care proxy and living will for both spouses in every estate plan we create.
Certainly! I’m pleased to offer a brief, complimentary call before scheduling your Peace of Mind Planning Session. During this call, we won’t discuss fees, as that will be covered in the Peace of Mind Planning Session. However, I’m here to address any fundamental questions you might have. Feel free to ask, and I’ll be happy to assist you.
No problem! A living trust can be changed or revoked entirely as long as the creator is alive and has mental capacity to do so. Any guardians for minor children can also be changed through an amendment (called a “codicil”) to your pour-over will.
All other estate planning documents (power of attorney, health care proxy, etc.) are typically recreated as it is more cost-effective.
The main point is that your documents can (and probably will be) updated as your life, your assets, and the law all change.
Absolutely! Estate planning is equally, if not more, crucial for unmarried individuals. Many unmarried people have specific wishes about leaving their assets to charities and friends rather than distant relatives. Without proper documentation, your estate could indeed end up in the hands of relatives you may not have been close to.
Additionally, having a Health Care Proxy and Financial Power of Attorney is vital for everyone, regardless of their marital status. These legal documents ensure that your healthcare decisions are made according to your preferences and that your financial matters are managed by someone you trust if you are unable to do so yourself. These considerations are essential for everyone, emphasizing the importance of comprehensive estate planning for individuals from all walks of life.
It’s rare to find parents who want their children to receive a significant lump sum of inheritance on their 18th birthday, which is the legal age for inheritance entitlement. However, without a specific estate plan stating otherwise, this is precisely what could occur. The positive news is that through a trust, you have the flexibility to select a later age for your children to inherit, such as 25 or 30, providing them with more financial maturity and stability. There are various options available, and we can thoroughly explore them during your Peace of Mind Planning Session.
You nominate legal guardians in a Will, or a Pour-Over Will that goes along with your Revocable Living Trust. If you pass away without nominating guardians, a judge will make the decision for you. You also run the risk that family members will fight over who gets custody because you didn’t make your preference clear.
Our firm goes the extra mile and helps you nominate short-term guardians to care for your children in the interim while the long-term guardians are appointed. And did you know you can “confidentially exclude” people you would never want raising your children no matter what? We can help with that!
Legal Zoom and law firms offer distinct services, and the difference in cost reflects the variation in what they provide. Legal Zoom offers standardized form documents that individuals can fill out and execute on their own. However, they are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice.
On the other hand, an attorney offers personalized counsel and legal advice tailored to your specific circumstances. They customize your documents, ensure they adhere to the appropriate legal formalities, and are available to address your questions and concerns. If having this level of personalized service and legal expertise is essential to you, working with an attorney is the advisable choice. If these factors are not a priority and you prefer a do-it-yourself approach, Legal Zoom might be a more suitable option. It ultimately depends on your individual needs and preferences.
Estate planning is an area of law that is state-specific. That means you should work with an attorney licensed in the state in which you reside. Goodman Law Office only handles estate planning in New Jersey. If you need an estate in another state, we are more than happy to provide you with a referral.
Speaker & Public Engagement Requests
Goodman Law Office public speaking engagements on estate planning to help educate our communities about legacy planning. We can provide valuable insights and guidance on how to preserve, manage, and distribute your assets once you are no longer here. We believe that having knowledge and understanding how to take action based on that knowledge is crucial in breaking the cycle of not building generational wealth.
We welcome the opportunity to share our ideas and experiences with the broader business community, faith-based organizations, non-profits and small-to-large groups working to educate our communities about legacy planning.
