Estate planning is the process of organizing your financial and personal affairs so that your family knows your wishes and can carry them out without unnecessary legal obstacles. It includes wills, trusts, powers of attorney, healthcare directives, and other documents tailored to your situation.
The difference between having a plan and not having one is significant. With a proper plan, your family avoids probate delays, minimizes tax burden where possible, protects minor children through guardianship designations, and ensures your assets transfer according to your instructions. Without a plan, state law determines what happens—which rarely aligns perfectly with what families actually need.
The Goodson Firm P.C. creates estate plans that address not just the legal requirements, but the practical realities of your family’s life. That means considering business succession, protecting assets from creditors, planning for incapacity, and ensuring clarity about healthcare decisions before a crisis occurs.
A will is the foundation of many estate plans, while a revocable living trust can provide additional privacy, control, and flexibility. The Goodson Firm P.C. helps Tyler families determine whether a will, trust, or combination of both best supports their goals. Trust planning can also help address incapacity, asset distribution, and long-term family needs.
What happens if you become unable to manage your finances or make healthcare decisions? Without proper powers of attorney and healthcare directives in place, your family may face court guardianship proceedings that are expensive and public. These documents appoint someone you trust to act on your behalf—before a crisis forces the issue.
When a loved one passes away, probate may involve court filings, creditor notices, tax matters, asset collection, and distribution of the estate. The Goodson Firm P.C. helps Tyler families understand each required step and complete the administration as efficiently as the circumstances allow.
Learn more about how probate works in Texas.
Whether you’re establishing guardianship for a minor or an incapacitated adult, or you’re navigating guardianship as a caregiver, these proceedings require careful legal attention. The firm handles guardianship petitions, annual accountings, and modifications.
For business owners and individuals with significant assets, estate planning includes strategies for business continuity, tax efficiency, and wealth transfer. This might involve operating agreements, buy-sell provisions, or structured gifting strategies.
Estate planning solutions tailored to your life, family, and goals.
Your first meeting—in person or by phone—is about understanding your family, your assets, your concerns, and your goals. Leigh asks detailed questions about your current situation, any existing documents, and what you want to accomplish. This conversation informs everything that follows. There’s no pressure, no sales pitch—just a thorough discussion to determine whether the firm is the right fit.
After your consultation, Leigh reviews what you’ve shared and analyzes your situation. She then provides a written recommendation outlining the documents you need, why each one matters, and how they work together to protect your family. This gives you time to consider her guidance before proceeding.
Once you’ve approved the recommendation, Leigh prepares your personalized documents. These aren’t templates — they’re drafted specifically for your circumstances, your family, and your goals. You’ll receive everything in advance so you have time to review each document carefully before your signing meeting.
We meet to walk through your documents together — explaining what each one does, how it protects you, and what happens when it’s invoked. Any final adjustments are made before you sign. Execution is handled with proper witnesses and notarization so every document is legally valid in Texas.
Signing is not the finish line. We provide guidance on funding your trust, updating beneficiary designations, and coordinating your plan with other advisors. As your life changes — a new child, a move, a business, a death in the family — your plan may need to evolve, and we’re here when it does.
Ms. Leigh Goodson was fabulous in giving me advice for my father's situation. She was a wealth of knowledge and recommendations. We will be using her for further estate planning.
Leigh prepared estate documents for myself and my husband, and she did a fantastic job. Everyone at her office was friendly and easy to work with. The process was quick and easy, and we feel so much better knowing our affairs are in order. If anyone needs any estate planning help, I would 100% recommend Leigh and her office!
I knew from my experience working with attorneys for over 30 years that with a blended family my husband and I needed professional estate planning. Ms. Goodson provided us with excellent options and did a very thorough explanation of the pros and cons of each of them. She offered non-judgmental opinions and legal information about the equitable division of our blended families small estate. We chose to go with the more expensive trust option because it would be a simpler and less expensive probate for our children who almost all live out of state. She and her assistant made extra efforts to accommodate our schedule and the entire process was quickly completed. We highly recommend The Goodson Firm. P.C. for your estate planning and probate legal services.
Leigh Goodson is a professional attorney. She is available to clients and is responsive in urgent and standard matters. Her expertise has been very helpful. Highly recommend, The Goodson Firm.
Leigh Goodson is the attorney I trust to take care of my clients, friends, and family. She knows the law and works with her clients to make sure their priorities are addressed appropriately.
The right time to protect your legacy is before you need to. Schedule a confidential consultation and take the first step toward protecting everything you have built and the people who matter most.
Locations in Tyler, Dallas, Plano, The Woodlands, & Bee Cave, Texas
