Melissa Goikhman
Estate Planning Attorney
New York City Westchester & Long Island Upstate NY
Estate Planning (Trusts & Wills), Powers of Attorney & Healthcare Proxies, Probate & Administration
Offers free consultation
Verified by Autumn
A plan is a gift. Estate Planning & Probate for New Yorkers. I’m dedicated to helping you achieve your short- and long-term estate planning goals. Contact me to discuss a plan that will protect what you care about most. My firm, Legacy Wealth Counsel PLLC, offers comprehensive estate planning services. From wills, trusts, and healthcare directives to guardianship planning and probate, we will ensure that your interests are protected. How are we different? We focus on developing and preserving your legacy and assets, versus drafting documents to put up on a shelf and forget about. We prepare you and your loved ones to make tough decisions in the event of illness or incapacity, and walk you through scenarios and options you may not have considered. We are available to answer questions as they arise, as lives change, and will never send you a bill for a phone call or email. With the right planning in place, you can protect your interests in the event of incapacity or illness. With the right plan in place, you can protect your family from extended, public court proceedings and conflict. Schedule a conversation about your goals today.
I’m an estate planning attorney based in New York City. My firm, Legacy Wealth Counsel PLLC, is dedicated to helping clients preserve their legacies, financial and otherwise – for loved ones. I graduated from Brooklyn Law School in 2010, and spent over a decade working for the Government specializing in criminal and civil financial investigations. I have a background in federal financial investigations and prosecuted financial crimes perpetrated by public officials, money launderers, and organized criminal enterprises. Now, I apply that expertise to help clients review their circumstances, goals, and also to get more financially organized than they've ever been! That's a perk of planning with Legacy Wealth Counsel. More critically for you, I’ve also trained with the premier estate planning attorneys in the country. I’ve developed a system to help clients evaluate their estate planning goals, get financially organized, and protect inheritances from creditors and undue tax burdens.
Law You Can Understand. We know that legal action can sometimes be overwhelming. We are dedicated to providing you help in language that you can understand. If you don't feel like you understand your options, just ask, and we will work to find an explanation that works for you.
We offer comprehensive estate planning services. From wills, trusts, and healthcare directives to guardianship, administration and probate, we will ensure that your interests are protected. Ask us about guardianship planning for minor children and pet planning, too.
Estate Planning Estate planning with Legacy Wealth Counsel involves planning for your health, your property, and your loved ones both in the event of disability and after death. Most estate plans include a will, a power of attorney, and medical directives. Many plans will also include trusts, guardianship plans for minors, and pet planning.
Trusts & Wills A Will is a set of written directions as to what happens to your property when you pass away. Wills distribute assets to beneficiaries, and name executors to be in charge of the process. It’s important to know that Wills must be submitted to the Surrogate’s Court in your home county to be proven valid. This process is called probate, and all probate filings are public.
A Trust is another way to make your wishes known with respect to your property. There are different types of trusts, including living (revocable) trusts and irrevocable trusts. Trusts name a trustee to manage assets according to our instructions within the document. Trusts take effect upon funding, can be invaluable during periods of incapacity, and can help avoid the probate process after death if properly funded. Trusts are also private documents that need not be made public, like Wills.
Probate & Administration When a person dies with a Will, that Will is submitted to a local Surrogate’s Court as part of a process called probate. The executor named in the Will must file the Will alongside a petition requesting authority to manage the estate. If the Court approves, the executor must collect the decedent’s assets, pay debts and probate fees, and then distribute to the beneficiaries listed in the Will. Administration is a similar process that occurs when a person dies intestate, or without a will. In this case, an administrator is appointed by the Court to oversee the estate. This is also a public process.
Pet Planning Estate Planning should also protect your beloved pets. There are a range of options available, from providing for your pet in a will, to including a provision in your trust, to creating a standalone pet trust. The important point is to ensure a trusted person or organization is able to step in and care for your furry friend if ever you are unable to. Contact Legacy Wealth Counsel to learn more.
Certifications
- Bar Admissions - New York (2010) Memberships - New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) - WealthCounsel Experience - In-House Counsel
- BCG - Attorney
- US Attorney's Office
- SDNY
Education
- Sarah Lawrence College (B.A. 2005)
- Brooklyn Law School (J.D. 2010)
C. Emily W.
I couldn’t have created a will, a living will, proxy care without the help and guidance of Melissa. She made this difficult process easier for me. I trust Melissa and am grateful for her advice and skillful handling of my paperwork.
Diana M.
Would recommend to anyone in need of estate planning services. Melissa, was such a pleasure to work with! she made everything go so smoothy, and was so patient with me and my family. She answered all of my questions promptly, and our zoom meetings never felt rushed. I would highly recommend her for anyone in need of estate planning/wills.
Linda K.
Melissa was so wonderful to work with, I can't recommend her enough! She was so patient with our family and my elderly dad, especially. Talked us through everything and made sure we understood. Our family is so relieved to have important documents in place for our dad, trust, will, health care proxy, power of attorney, etc. Reasonable prices, kind, helpful, respectful professionals - it was a great experience and my dad is so relieved to have taken care of it. 5 stars.
- Estate Planning
- Trusts
- Wills & Living Wills
- Probate & Administration
- Guardianship
- Power of Attorney
- Pet Planning
Years In Business
- 15
Number Of Employees
- 1
Service Areas
- New York City
- Westchester & Long Island
- Upstate NY
Languages
- English
Payment Method
- Cash
- Check
- Zelle
Wills and trusts are estate planning tools that dictate what happens to your assets. One key difference between the two is that a will must be probated, or approved by the county surrogate's court, in order for the directions to be executed. A trust is active upon creation and functions as soon as it is funded. Funding a trust means transferring assets to the trust. Trusts typically avoid the probate process.
Probate is the process of proving that a will is valid, and is the last will and testament of the decedent (the person who died). One the Court is convinced that a will is acceptable, the Executor named in the will is appointed to "execute" the wishes of the person who died. That includes distributing known assets, paying creditors, and filing any final tax returns required.
There are several important healthcare-related documents every person age 18 and over should have in place. The first is a Living Will, which sets forth specific healthcare instructions in the event you are unable to express or make decisions for yourself. A Healthcare Proxy designates another person to stand in for you and make healthcare decisions. A HIPAA release allows healthcare information to be shared with medical providers in the event of an emergency.
Anyone over the age of 18 should consider an estate plan. For those with no heirs or assets, basic healthcare forms and powers of attorney should be put in place to ensure their instructions are followed in the event of incapacity. For those with assets, estate planning ensures that property is distributed to specified people/entities. And for those with loved ones, planning serves the additional purposes of caring for those loved ones and limiting conflict after death, as final wishes are committed to a signed writing.
Address
New York, NY
Travel Preferences
Clients travel to me
I travel to clients
I support clients virtually (phone/internet)
Not the right fit?
We'll personally connect you with someone trusted.
Not the right fit?
We'll personally connect you with someone trusted.
Similar providers near you
Other trusted professionals offering similar services to Melissa Goikhman.
