We serve clients with legal
matters in Central and Northern Arizona, USA. Our office is located in the
city of Prescott, Arizona. We provide service in the areas of business,
estate, family and property law. We assist companies and individuals with
their business transactions.
The firm provides civil legal services including
advice, document drafting, negotiation and litigation. We defend
employers, companies and individuals in civil matters. Representation is
also occasionally provided to plaintiffs with serious injuries or economic
loss whose claims have substantial merit.
We believe that hiring a
lawyer is like making any capital expenditure: the return is expected to
be greater than the investment. Our goal is to make your investment a good
one. We also believe in the age old adage that "justice delayed is justice
denied." Thus, we strive to act with alacrity.
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Mark N. Goodman,
a native of Arizona, received his B.A. from
Prescott College. Mr. Goodman was a Notes
and Comments Editor and member of the Law Review at the
California Western School of Law where he
graduated first in his class (summa
cum laude), in 1977. Thereafter, Mr. Goodman obtained a master of laws
(LL.M.) degree from Boalt Hall at the University of California, Berkeley,
in 1978.
Mr. Goodman is a member of
the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Arizona, the Yavapai County
Bar Association and the Commercial Law League of America.
Donna C. Jaffe
was born in Berkeley, California. Ms. Jaffe obtained her undergraduate
degree from California State University, Fullerton.
She received her J.D. degree from
Western State University College of Law, Fullerton
in 1991. Ms. Jaffe was admitted to the California bar in 1991 and is also
a member of the State Bar of Arizona. Ms.
Jaffe is a member of
the Yavapai County
Bar Association.
David Centeno,
received his B.A. from New York University in 2001. He received his J.D.
degree from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law where he
served on the Staff of
the Cardozo Public Law, Policy and Ethics Journal. Mr.
Centeno is admitted in New York State only.
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We provide a range of legal
representation to businesses, individuals, and organizations, including
the following services:
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Advice and
representation in real estate sales, construction, exchanges,
leases, loans, title insurance, and zoning matters and proceedings; |
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Debt collection and
the recovery of money or property owed by one person to another; |
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The preparation and
review of contracts for the sale and financing of various goods,
services, real estate, and buildings; |
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Insurance defense,
subrogation, investigations and adjustment; |
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Employment and labor
matters; |
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The preparation and
review of contracts and closing documents for buying and selling
businesses; |
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The formation and
maintenance of corporations and partnerships; |
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Estate planning and
elder law, including the preparation of wills, trusts, and powers of
attorney; |
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Probate and
guardianship proceedings; |
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Lawsuits and
administrative proceedings; |
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Automobile accidents
and other events causing personal injury or death; |
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Domestic relations
matters, including divorce, custody, support and property
settlement; |
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Sexual harassment
claims and issues. |
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Commercial Litigation
- We handle a variety of commercial litigation matters including debt
recovery, commercial collections, contract disputes and other business
disputes involving a debt or commercial claim.
Domestic Relations
- This practice area involves representation of clients involved in divorce, child custody
and child support matters.
Employment -
We counsel and defend employers. Advice and representation is
provided in the areas of employment hiring, firing, discrimination,
unemployment compensation, EEOC disputes, Arizona's Employment Protection
Act and other state and federal labor laws.
Litigation -
We represent plaintiffs and defendants in a variety of matters, including
accidents, business disputes, contract matter, easements, employment
matters, real estate, and sexual harassment issues.
Probate -
This practice area involves representation in probate proceedings,
non-probate transfers and assists clients with probate avoidance
procedures.
Real Estate -
We handle a variety of real estate matters ranging from simple land
transfers, complex real estate litigation, procedures to clear title to
land, commercial and residential land development, and matters involving
liens upon land.
Sexual Harassment
- We provide representation in sexual harassment matters, defending
companies against wrongful claims and representing victims of serious
injury.
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Our attorneys have one or
more of the following affiliations and memberships:
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Alzheimer's Association,
Northern Arizona Chapter - former Board Member |
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American Bar
Association, member |
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Commercial Law League of
America, member |
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Fee Arbitration
Committee, State Bar of Arizona, former vice-chairman |
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Fellow, Arizona Bar
Foundation |
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State Bar of Arizona,
member |
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Yavapai County Bar
Association, member |
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Our attorneys participate
in a variety of community service activities. Some of these activities
include acting as pro bono counsel to charitable organizations,
forming charitable corporations and/or obtaining the tax-exempt status for
charitable corporations, acting as arbitrators in the local Superior Court
program, providing pro bono legal services to the indigent and
others, participating in the Arizona State Bar's voluntary fee arbitration
program and volunteering in a variety of other programs.
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Fees are determined by a
variety of factors, starting with the type of legal problem involved.
Cases are typically handled on an "hourly basis," on a "contingent fee
basis," or for a "flat fee."
Hourly fees
are charges based upon the billing rate of the individual providing the
service multiplied by the number of hours required to perform the service
adjusted by the value of the service provided, the amount of
responsibility assumed, and the exigencies and complexity of the
situation. Hourly rates range from $150.00 per hour to $350.00 per hour for
the attorneys and $50.00 to $85.00 per hour for services provided by law
clerks and paralegals.
Contingent fees
are charges based upon a specified percentage of the recovery obtained.
Contingent fees are usually reserved for certain types of matters such as
debt collection and personal injury cases where the likelihood of recovery
is significant, the monetary loss is substantial and the ability to
collect a judgment is great. Non-commercial contingent rates usually range
from 20% to 40%. Commercial debt collection terms are stated elsewhere.
For certain routine matters
a flat fee may be charged. A flat fee is one where the cost
of the service is a specified amount, regardless of the time or effort.
We consider such factors as
the complexity and difficulty of the problems presented by the legal
matter, the degree of start-up or learning time required (if any), the
amount and value of the matters involved, the nature of the
responsibilities we have undertaken, the demands made upon our skills and
our time, the exigencies of the situation, our possible use of prior
research, work product or computer models previously devised, the results
obtained, the degree of cooperation we receive from you and others, and
any other extraordinary circumstances in determining the type and amount
of our charges.
Any opinions we may express
about the outcome of a legal matter are only our best professional
estimates; they are necessarily limited by our knowledge of the facts and
the law at the time opinions are expressed.
Nothing in our statements
should be construed as a promise or guaranty about the outcome a legal
matter. We make no promises or guarantees. We cannot predict the outcome
of a matter. Unless specifically stated in a separate writing, signed by
both of us, payment for our services is not contingent upon the outcome of
any matter.
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If you would like to engage
us to represent you, please contact us by phone, fax, e-mail or
"snailmail," with a brief description of your problem. Your information
will then be reviewed. A telephonic or personal consultation with an
attorney may be necessary, depending upon the circumstances. There is a
fee for the initial consultation. If we are retained within thirty (30)
days of the date of the initial consultation, the consultation fee will be
credited to your bill.
We usually do not undertake representation until three (3) requirements
are met:
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There is a signed
Fee Agreement; and |
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We have received a
retainer (advance of money paid by
credit card,
wire transfer, cash or check); and |
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We have received the
documents needed to begin representation. |
It may be necessary to have
an initial consultation in order to provide an estimate of the cost of
providing legal services. This means that in order to obtain an estimate
of the cost of the representation, you may have to pay for an initial
consultation and provide sufficient information for the attorney to
adequately assess your situation, determine the relevant facts, apply
those facts to the applicable law, and render a professional opinion about
the nature of your case.
Sometimes it is not
possible to provide an accurate estimate of the ultimate cost of providing
legal services. Because providing legal representation necessarily
involves responding to ever changing situations and to situations over
which we have no control, to provide the legal services reasonably needed
to effectively represent you we may be required to provide services in
addition to those initially anticipated. Thus, the ultimate cost of the
legal representation may be more or less than the estimate. The accuracy
of our estimates may vary, depending upon facts and circumstances beyond
our control, such as the decisions of a court or the actions of third
parties.
We do not recommend that
you send confidential information over the Internet. If you are not
concerned about confidentiality, you can e-mail
us.
We cannot provide legal
advice unless and until we have been engaged. We
usually do not begin to represent a client until an agreement relating to
fees and costs has been reached, any necessary retainer has been paid and
we have received the documents relevant to the case.
Money can be electronically
transferred to the firm by
credit card
payment or by wire
transfer. To pay by
credit card, click
here. For wire
transfer instructions, click
here.
To engage us, see the
requirements, above.
We accept:
 
 
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Goodman Law Firm
is an association of independent professional limited liability companies.
Each lawyer has organized as a professional limited liability company (PLLC)
under the laws of the State of Arizona. The personal liability of
our members is limited to the extent provided in such laws. Goodman
Law Firm, P.C., an Arizona professional corporation, provides
practice-management goods and services to the lawyers' professional
limited liability companies; legal services are provided to clients by the
lawyers through one or more professional limited liability companies.
Goodman Law Firm, P.C. does not provide legal services.
Nothing herein is intended
to be construed as legal advice. Legal advice depends upon particular
facts and circumstances, not to mention the place involved. For legal
advice, consult a lawyer. All information is believed to be accurate but
no guarantees are made. Information is subject to change without notice. |
