Your Trusted Attorneys in New York City

Attorney Albert Goodwin

We are a law firm in New York City. We have been in practice since 2008. We consistently achieve superior results, are widely praised by our clients and are respected in the legal community.

We focus on estates, guardianship and public benefits.

Our law firm has helped hundreds of people just like you. We have secured millions of dollars for our clients. We help people recover and protect what is rightfully theirs.

Here is more information about our practice areas:

Estate Litigation

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Our attorneys have a wide range of experience in high-stakes inheritance litigation involving high net-worth estates

Whether you are a beneficiary and you feel that you are being short-changed or you are a fiduciary and you feel that you are being wrongly accused, we have the experience to help you win.

We represent clients in high-stakes contested estate litigation matters such as:

Will Contests

When someone is left out of a will, a will contest typically ensues. Our work is to either defend the will or help the left-out person to contest the will. If defending a will, our job is to prove to the court that the will was made correctly and the person making the will had the mental capacity to make one. If contesting a will, our job is to prove to the court that the person who died either did not have the mental capacity to make a will, was unduly influenced into making a will, or the will was not made correctly.

Trust Contests

Contested Accountings

If a beneficiary of an estate suspects that the executor is mismanaging assets of the estate or stole something from the estate, even before the death of the decedent, a contested accounting ensues. Our task is to either defend the actions of the executor or contest the actions of the executor, depending on who is our client. If we are contesting an accounting, we first help the executor to file an accounting and then claim that items are missing or expenses are unnecessary.  If we represent the executor, our job is to help them prepare an accounting and to defend the contents of the accounting and actions of the executor.

Kinship

Sometimes there is a need to prove to the court that a person is related to the person who died. This process requires a kinship attorney. This typically happens when a person died without a will and their nearest surviving relatives are cousins. It also happens when someone is questioning a person’s relationship to the person who died.

Protecting the Rights of Beneficiaries

Do you suspect that you are getting short-changed on your rightful inheritance? Have a feeling that the Executor or Trustee is not fulfilling their duties? You may need New York City trust and estate litigation attorney if you feel any of the following:

Executor and Trustee Defense

Being a fiduciary can feel like there’s a target on your back. We are estate and trust litigation lawyers who can help you get your peace of mind back. We are attorneys who defend executors and trustees.

Are the beneficiaries accusing you of cheating them? Are they trying to contest the will or trust? As experienced estate and trust lawyers in New York City, we can help you fight back.

Spousal Issues

Children Issues

Other Estate Litigation

Probate

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We represent people involved in the probate process. The probate process is a court proceeding to determine if a deceased person's will is valid. Most probate proceedings are uncontested, meaning that the estate lawyer would simply submit an application to admit the will to probate and notify everyone involved, the judge would review the petition and the will gets admitted to probate, meaning that the executor nominated by the will gets appointed to be the executor. We would then counsel the executor on carrying out their duties correctly and timely.

If the person died without a will, the court proceeding where it gets decided what happens to their assets after their death is called “estate administration.” In estate administration cases, we help one of the relatives of the person who died become the administrator of the estate. We put together the estate administration petition and other appropriate documents and submit the documents to court. After the relative gets appointed as the estate administrator, we counsel the administrator in carrying out their duties in accordance with the law.

Estate Planning

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When we act as estate planning attorneys, we write up the documents that determine what happens to a person’s property after their death. An estate planning lawyer’s function is to set up what is referred to an estate planning package, which may include a will, a trust, a power of attorney, what we refer to in New York as a health care proxy, and a living will. We also set up Medicaid plans to help people qualify for Medicaid.

We would talk to the client and see what they want to happen to their estate after their death, and will then draft the appropriate documents and make sure that the person making the plan signs the estate planning documents correctly, all the formalities required for the documents are followed, and all of the documents that need to be filed are filed in the appropriate government agency.

You Need an Estate Plan

You may need an estate plan more than you think. For example, if you are planning to leave your property to your wife and kids, you may not even need a will because they would get your property anyway – half to the wife and half to the kids. But what if you want all of your property to go to your wife? Then you need a will. And what if you want your wife to use the property during her lifetime and then the property to go to your kids? Then, you need a trust. Here is what an estate planning lawyer can help you achieve:

Medicaid Planning

If you would like to qualify for Medicaid, we may be able to help you by using the following techniques:

  • Medicaid Trusts can protect your assets from being counted as for Medicaid eligibility.
  • Special Needs Trusts if you are or your loved one is disabled.
  • Gift and Loan allows an applicant to transfer half of their assets to a loved one without incurring a penalty.

Guardianship

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We get involved when there is a question of an older person not being able to make life decisions. Whether you are considering guardianship for a loved one who is no longer able to manage their own affairs, or if you need to oppose a guardianship that doesn’t seem right, we are here to offer caring and effective legal support.

Albert Goodwin, Esq. is a New York guardianship lawyer who can help you establish a guardianship for a loved one or defend against a guardianship that you feel is being forced on your loved one.

Welfare Fraud Defense

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We’ve helped many families being accused of Medicaid fraud and SNAP fraud. Our clients are typically accused of not reporting income or not reporting the man of the household on their application and recertification for welfare benefits.

If you are looking for an experienced attorney in New York City, we are here for you. You can give us a call at 212-233-1233 or send us an email at [email protected].

Read Our Reviews

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Albert Goodwin, Esq. has a track record of good results and positive client experience. See our Google,  Avvo and Yelp Reviews reproduced here:

5.0 Read all reviews

  • Adam ★★★★★ a month ago

    I highly recommend Albert’s firm to anyone looking for legal representation in a New York estate litigation matter. He and his associate, Katrina, have a powerful synergy and are doubtless among the very best of the best in the city. I felt well-represented every step of the way at Albert’s firm and could not have asked for a better attorney-client relationship.

    Albert gracefully agreed to take on my matter as a transfer-in from another firm, was efficient in getting up to speed, and brought it to a successful conclusion. His and Katrina’s ability to handle a mountain of work in such a tight time frame is nothing short of incredible. I would have picked Albert’s firm in a heartbeat to represent me from the beginning if I had to do it all over again. The fees were beyond reasonable, especially given his firm’s deep and demonstrable commitment to high-quality work product.

    One thing I particularly appreciated as a client was Albert’s quick, cost-effective answers whenever I had a question. I tried not to bombard him with questions, but whenever they naturally came up, he always got back to me right away. He will not sugarcoat anything for you and will make his analyses of your matter crystal clear.

    On a more personal note, Albert is an all-around great and witty guy who made this litigation a much more pleasant experience for me. I will always be thankful for his and Katrina’s tireless work on my case.

  • Glen Davis ★★★★★ a year ago
    Thank you for the work you provided regarding the trusts. I would be remiss if I didn’t let you know I feel you did an outstanding job. You analyzed the information I provided from a legal perspective and your experience with trust law. Then you providing me with not only commission figures (Supplemental Memorandum) but a comprehensive narrative (Memorandum of Law) explaining why and how you came to your conclusions. This narrative was written in language I could easily understand (not legalese), often not the case between council and client communications. What’s more, you caught several of my errors regarding calendar-day-counts as well as arithmetic calculations. Your attention to detail is outstanding.
    I took a shot and contacted you after an internet search for an attorney with trust expertise, not knowing what to expect. You far exceed my expectations and I suspect the scope of work you did exceeded the reasonable fee you charged. If anyone ask you for a reference, feel free to give them my number.
    Thank you for your help. I hope to have the opportunity to work with you again in the future. Glen Davis
  • carl straker ★★★★★ 3 months ago
    Albert Goodwin is one of the most professional, knowledgeable, responsive, and honest attorneys I know. I had been searching for an attorney to set up a trust for my family and after I called him, he explained the entire process to me in detail. It was this phone call that made me realize that I had the best person for my estate planning services. If you need an attorney to handle all of your estate planning issues, DO NOT hesitate to call Albert Goodwin. He is a great attorney and a better person. Mr. Goodwin, thank you for your services!
  • SUVin ★★★★★ 6 months ago
    Mr. Goodwin is professional, knowledgeable, honest, persistent, compassionate and responsive – isn’t this the definition of a good lawyer! He’s very meticulous and down to the point , always ready to explain things in great  detail, so at all times I had clear understanding of the case status and the steps to be taken next.
    Immediately after our initial conversation – as I was still “shopping” for an attorney to handle an Estate case – my search for a lawyer was over – based on how that conversation went I knew right away that I found one whom I can trust and whom I can rely on to get the case to the desirable outcome. never even once through the case I had any regrets of that decision – just in contrary I consider myself lucky to have hired Mr. Goodwin.
    I deeply appreciate all his work on my case, his legal advise and all his guidance.
  • Lawrence Hawk ★★★★★ 6 months ago
    Mr. Albert Goodwin represented me as the beneficiary of a trust. This very complicated & difficult issue had been resolved for 24 years! I finally received my rightful share, only after Mr. Goodwin used his intelligence, observational skills & foresight to win. He has excellent morality…..something sadly missing in most people in the 21st Century. I am thankful & grateful I hired Mr. Goodwin as my attorney. He went above and beyond to win. I highly recommend his services.
  • M Burdo ★★★★★ 6 months ago
    Very impressed with his willingness to take time to answer questions for someone who is not yet a client. Seemed very knowledgeable. Easy to talk to, helpful and no pressure. If we pursue our case, we will definitely be back in touch with him
  • Erik B Christensen ★★★★★ 9 months ago
    We needed a simple Last Will & Testament and responded to a card we received thru USPS. Our phone call was received very professional and time were quickly arranged to suit our requirements. Preliminary information were exchanged viaemail contact and all preparations were thoroughly explained. by Mr Albert Goodwin, who took the necessary time to explain all the information we needed to complete the required Last Will & Testament. We will certainly return to Mr Albert Goodwin, again for any adjustment that may be required to update the documents in the future.
  • Sergey Vinokur ★★★★★ a year ago
    I am an out of state resident, and needed legal representation in regards my recently deceased brother’s estate in NYC.
    To begin with, out of all attorneys I have spoken to initially, while “shopping” for legal representation
     in NY, Mr. Goodwin was the most competent, through, helpful and responsive right from the first conversation we had on the phone. So, naturally it was my immediate decision to hire him, dismissing all considerations of the lawyers I already spoken to at that time and eliminating any need for me to look any further.
    Ultimately I am happy to say that this first impression I had of Mr. Goodwin has been proven to be 100% correct: he’s a great lawyer My case was handled from start to the conclusion with the utmost professionalism and thoroughness. All and any questions I had were being answered by Mr. Goodwin promptly and with great clarity. Despite the fact my situation turned out to be not as simple as an “open and shut” case as it may have appeared in the beginning on the surface, it has been fully resolved to my satisfaction and comparatively quickly – much faster than I initially expected.
    Mr. Goodwin, thank you so very much for your professionalism and compassion!
  • Sash ★★★★★ a year ago
    Mr. Goodwin has exceeded my expectations with his professionalism and effectiveness. He’s always there to answer your questions and help you throughout whatever the process may be. He’s knowledgeable and honest. He made me feel comfortable and safe, during a time where I found my self so confused, lost and scared.
  • Carly Reid ★★★★★ a year ago
    Expert advice and attention to detail and always available for communication Mr. Goodwin helped with what seemed like an insurmountable task. With patience knowing it was a marathon and not a sprint we got it done. Forever thankful!
  • julian watson ★★★★★ a year ago
    its was truly a pleasure working with MR..GOODWIN. everything was done on a timely matter. very professional. highly recommended.thks again for a job well done.
  • John Dough ★★★★★ a year ago
    I am not a client, however, I called in regards to a personal matter in need of legal consultation. Mr. Goodwin answered the phone promptly and thoroughly answered all of my questions. I could not have asked for more and appreciate the professionalism. If I happen to hire a lawyer for this matter it will be Mr. Goodwin..

My family and I were selling our home in Brooklyn to move to a beautiful dreamy house in NJ to be close to my children and grand children. We were moving along until the atttorney I retained to handle the sale informed me that there was a lien on our home… We were told that he did not handle matters like this. I asked what the lien was and I gasped and almost fainted. I informed my brother as to what had happened and he contacted Mr. Goodwin. He came by our home and spoke with us and assured us that all would work out well. The next day he requested that my brother forward several documents to him. He began his magic, an employeee from the NYC Agency contacted us and told us that our attorney was working on our case and not to pay any lien until the matter was finalized… After a short time passed we were informed by Mr.Goodwin and the NYC Dept. of Finance that the lien was removed, why because of several laws that Mr.Goodwin was quite familiar with. Strange how other attorneys involved knew nothing about these laws. I am now in NJ enjoying my children and grandchildren,awaiting our first Thanksgiving and Christmas together… This was all made possible thrugh Mr. Goodwin’s diligence, hard work, knowledge of the law and his dedication to his clients. Thank you Albert May God Bless You each and every day.

My husband died in Australia on a scuba diving vacation that turned out to be to much for his heart, leaving a substantial estate. Before I was aware of what was going on his sister rushed in naming herself next of kin, claiming that her brother was divorced attempting to cheat me out of my inheritance. I was devastated at the loss of my a strained yet very loved husband. I spoke to some attorneys in the state of North Carolina where I reside however I was informed that they were unable to take the case as my husband’s estate was in New York, therefore I would have to acquire a New York attorney. I went on the internet and just prayed that the lord would bless me with a good attorney, I was blessed with not just a good attorney but a great one. A tearful frantic call to a busy Albert Goodwin, who to my surprise answered his phone, after all it was after hours but this man was still there, upon hearing my situation told me he would move some things around and would be happy to take my case, I think he disliked the way I was being treated. This is a great firm they helped me every step of the way even though I lived out of state. Mr. Goodwin took control of this situation we became a team, he requested documents once he had those documents my worries were over, soon I was executive of my husbands estate executing his wishes as I know he would have wanted. I will never forget Mr. Goodwin’s last words to some people we will not name, “After All She Is His Wife” Thank you for everything. Mrs. Michele Hines Diaconescu.

During a long, drawn-out estate settlement, I was very fortunate to have Albert Goodwin as my attorney. He is extremely competent, straightforward, and very effective. Albert was my confidant and legal guide as he tackled my case. I always felt that he was looking out for my interests and giving me sound advice. Prior to Albert’s involvement, my case had come to a halt. He moved it along and brought it to a satisfying conclusion. I attribute my eventual success solely to Albert’s actions. I greatly appreciate all that he did for me. Russell Kivatisky, Ph.D.

Mr. Albert Goodwin represented me as the beneficiary of a trust. This very complicated & difficult issue had been unresolved for 24 years!
I finally received my rightful share, only after Mr. Goodwin used his intelligence, observational skills & foresight to win.
He has excellent morality…something sadly missing in most people in the 21st Century.
I am thankful & grateful I hired Mr. Goodwin as my attorney. He went above and beyond to win. I highly reccomend his services.

Mr. Albert Goodwin has helped me with a difficult legal matter requiring much analysis and comprehensive knowledge. He is gifted in memory and observation. He is very responsive and amiable. He intelligently handles difficult situations. He is fair with capital requirements and details his work well. He delivers what is promised. His morality is rarely observed in New York City attorneys. He is one of the best attorneys we have ever worked with!

Albert Goodwin is a great estate attorney. He’s settled my New York probate without any hassle. He is a friendly person and very professional, his staff as well. When we went together to court, it seemed that other attorneys and the judge knew who he was, which made me feel confident in my case. Thank you for helping me out.

Albert Goodwin facilitated an estate settlement for me. I reside in another state and he kept me infomed on all negotiations. The whole matter was settled without my having to go to New York. I highly recommend his legal services.

In a trust case, Attorney Albert Goodwin did a fabulous job sorting through the facts, meticulously to get to the heart of the case. There was quite a bit of study involved. He kept great records and everything was filed on time. He is very responsive and took the case to judge enforcement. He is a real professional. I would rate him a 10 and give him a top 5 Star rating, he’s the best.

Mr. Albert Goodwin is one of the best lawyers we have ever worked with. He has a gifted IQ in observation and memory; he`s extremely personable and responsive. He’s very efficient in billing and has great attention to detail. He has great patience with difficult people. He has a morality that is rarely found in New York attorneys. He will do what he says. You can depend on him. He has helped us immensely with trust law.

This attorney drafted a will for me. The will was drafted in a professional matter, and was pretty fast. A positive experience overall, would recommend.

I asked for Albert Goodwin’s service only once some time ago: writing a will for me.
In one session he completed the whole process of writing the will – without any hassle. He is a friendly person and very professional, and he was very generous in giving me a fee discount because of me being an underpaid musician in NY at that time.

This attorney closed out my mother’s estate, with me receiving the rightful share, to the surprise and dismay of my sister who was the executor. He worked tirelessly on my case, and got results., This is how it should be done. I would recommend Mr. Goodwin to anyone with an estate problem – he gets them resolved.

Albert is a great attorney. He worked very hard to resolve my case in an efficient and timely manner. He is very knowledgeable and trustworthy. I would highly recommend him.

Mr. Albert Goodwin, Esq. does your legal matters correctly the first time. He does his legal work in a very effective and sensitive way. In my case the legal work was for a will, health care proxy and power of attorney. He has become the go-to-man for me to find an appropriate lawyer- an additional great benefit of our professional relationship. I recommend Mr. Albert Goodwin, Esquire highly.

Very well informed! I called from California and he was just as helpful as if I was next door in New York. It’s very rare these days to have an informed discussion with someone who is genuinely interested in making your life less stressful. Thanks Albert!

A truly sincere and honest person, with character and experience hard to come by these days, Albert went out of his way for me and is highly recommended!

Thank you, Albert for meeting with me and giving your honest and helpful advice on the matter at hand.You are the best! Albert Goodwin, is very professional and friendly lawyer. We highly recommend his services for your needs.

Albert provided wise advise that saved us thousands of dollars and even more value in reducing stress and time. He was patient , kind and clear .We strongly recommend him.

I just called from Texas, the lawyer personal attention was amazing . He took his time to listen me and the details about my case. Very honest person and a great professional! He provided important information about my case which avoided me to spend thousands of dollars on a dead case.
I would definitely recommend him !

Mr. Goodwin is a great attorney to have on your side. He is confident and knowledgeable, has his clients best interest in mind, honest and straightforward, and presents the correct assessment of a situation.

Albert Goodwin has been my lawyer for many years. He gets things done in a timely matter and without any hassle. He is very intelligent and can figure out complicated business situations. I can always count on him for legal and business advice.

I contacted Mr. Goodwin last week on a family will matter. His advice
was practical, professional, and honest. I believe another attorney would
have taken my case, began litigation, and charged me accordingly.
However, Mr. Goodwin listened carefully as I read a portion of the will
and explained why we couldn’t win. I checked with a local judge and
Mr. Goodwin was 100% right. Thank You Mr. Goodwin

We worked with Albert to look into question about a will for us. Not only did he answer the phone right away (We have been waiting 2 days for other lawyers to get back to us), he call me back with a full review of our case in less than 2 hours. He was awesome! Very helpful and I would definitely recommend him.

Attorney Albert Goodwin

Law Offices of
Albert Goodwin, PLLC
31 W 34 Str, Suite 7058
New York, NY 10001

Tel. 212-233-1233

[email protected]

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