About Jeffrey S.
Jeffrey S. Goethe built a legal foundation in the classroom before he built it in the courtroom. He earned a B.A. in history from Maryville College in 1986 and went on to receive his J.D. from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 1990. Those years shaped his interest in legal process and estate matters, and they set a steady course for a long career in Florida practice.
He has been a partner at Barnes Walker, Goethe, Hoonhout, Perron & Shea, PLLC since 2004. Over the years he has taken on both client work and firm responsibilities. He practices in Florida and has served as a title agent for Lawyers Title Fund Services since 1995, a role that ties into the property and probate work that often arises in his files.
Goethe is certified in Wills, Trusts and Estates by The Florida Bar. That credential sits alongside memberships in sections and groups that align with estate planning, probate, real property and elder law. He is a fellow of The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, a recognition he received in 2014. He holds the title of Master (Emeritus) in the Manatee Chapter of the American Inns of Court, another role he began in 2014.
His involvement in bar work includes a multi-year chairmanship of The Florida Probate Rules Committee from 2014 to 2020, and he served as chair of the Twelfth Judicial Circuit Grievance Committee from 2015 to 2018. He has been a member of the Manatee County Bar Association since 1991 and served as its president at one point. Additional memberships include the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of The Florida Bar, the Manatee Estate Planning Council and The Florida Bar Elder Law Section. He was also part of the Lawyer s Professionalism Panel for the Twelfth Judicial Circuit from 2016 to 2019.
Clients and colleagues describe him as an experienced practitioner who handles the details of estate planning and probate work, from drafting wills and trusts to guiding administrations through court procedures. He regularly deals with title issues and the intersection of property law and estate administration.
After three decades in practice and steady involvement in local and statewide committees, he remains active at his firm and in professional circles. He currently practices in Florida, handling estate planning, probate and trust administration, elder law matters, and related real property issues.
