Estate planning is the process of organizing your financial and personal affairs to ensure your wishes are carried out if you become incapacitated or pass away. It goes far beyond simply writing a will. A comprehensive estate plan addresses multiple layers of protection: how your assets transfer, who manages them, what happens to your minor children, tax strategies for your family’s benefit, and contingency plans for unexpected circumstances.
Most people delay estate planning because they’re unsure where to start or what documents they actually need. The reality is simpler than you might think. Depending on your situation, your plan may include:
The goal is to create clarity for your family during a difficult time while also minimizing complications, delays, and unnecessary costs.
Estate planning solutions tailored to your life, family, and goals.
A will is a legal document that specifies how your assets are distributed after your death. A trust offers more control, privacy, and often avoids probate. We help you determine which approach—or combination of both—makes sense for your situation. Trusts are particularly valuable if you have significant assets, minor children,a blended family or concerns about how beneficiaries might manage money.
If a loved one has passed and left a will, probate is the court process that validates the will and oversees asset distribution.Texas has a streamlined probate process compared to other states but sometimes probate can take months or even years and involve substantial legal fees. This can take months or even years and involve substantial legal fees. We guide families through probate or help you structure your plan to minimize probate involvement in the first place.
One of the most important decisions parents make is naming a guardian for minor children. We help you think through who should raise your children and manage their finances, and we formalize those wishes in writing. This peace of mind alone is invaluable.
For clients with substantial assets, business interests, or complex family situations, wealth planning coordinates your estate plan with tax strategy, business succession, and long-term family goals. We ensure your plan works efficiently across multiple dimensions.
If you own a business, your personal estate plan and your business structure must work together. We help you establish succession plans, buy-sell agreements, and ownership structures that protect your business and your family’s interests.
We start by listening. You’ll tell us about your family, your assets, your concerns, and your goals. We ask questions to understand not just the financial picture, but the human one—your values, your family dynamics, any special circumstances. This conversation informs everything that follows.
After your consultation, schedule your planning session to we thoroughly analyze your situation. We consider tax implications, probate avoidance strategies, guardianship decisions, and contingencies. We identify gaps in your current plan (if you have one) and recommend solutions tailored to your life, not a template.
We draft your documents with precision and clarity. You’ll receive them in advance so you have time to review everything carefully before we meet again.
We walk through each document together, answer any remaining questions, and make any final adjustments. Once you’re satisfied, we arrange proper execution with the required witnesses and notarization so your documents are legally valid in Texas.
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
