hgoldstein@vwlawfirm.com-Goldstein

As a principal at The Van Winkle Law Firm, Heather Whitaker Goldstein focuses on incapacity planning, client advocacy and litigation in a wide variety of situations where an elderly person is vulnerable to exploitation. She assists clients with drafting powers of attorney, incompetency and guardianship proceedings, will contests, trust modifications, estate-related litigation, and claims by and against individuals who are serving as executor, trustee, or agent under a power of attorney. She also assists clients with creating estate plans and planning for long-term care public benefits, and she advises executors, trustees, and guardians on the administration of estates.

From 2003 – 2012 Heather served as the Executive Director of the Asheville Jewish Community Center, where she worked closely with staff and volunteers to create and strengthen programs and services to support community members during all phases of life. Heather was part of the team that worked to establish Jewish Family Services of Western North Carolina, a now-independent nonprofit organization providing elder respite care, mental health counseling, and social work case management.

Before joining our firm, Heather completed a judicial clerkship with the Honorable Welton Curtis Sewell, U.S. Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Virginia. She is admitted to practice in the U.S. District Courts for the Western and Middle Districts of North Carolina, the Eastern District of Virginia, and the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Third and Fourth Districts, as well as all North Carolina state courts. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, attending her four boys’ soccer games, and early morning CrossFit training.