Estate planning should be a comfortable process, providing an atmosphere for an open and communicative attorney-client relationship. In this environment, clients are able to express their goals and desires, enabling me to develop an individualized estate plan to meet their specific needs.

My staff and I treat every client request with respect, whether providing for a spouse, children, life partner, or beloved pet. I strive to meet the needs of my clients in a timely and economical manner, while providing the most sophisticated service possible.

Background and Community Service

• Member of the American Bar Association and the Bar Associations of New York, New Jersey, Sussex County, and Morris County.
• Past Secretary and VP of Public Policy (Sussex-Warren Chapter) of The New Jersey Association of Women Business Owners and recipient of its Teal Heart Service Award in 2001 and Woman Business Owner of the Year Award (Sussex-Warren Chapter) in 2003.
• Member of the Branchville Rotary Club
• Member of the Ethics Committee of Newton Memorial Hospital
• Member of the Advisory Council of Sussex County Office of Senior Services
• Member of the Sheriff’s Crimestopper Commissioners
• Past President of the Blairstown Business Association
• 2005 Chair of the Sussex County Chamber of Commerce; Ms. Benz currently serves the Chamber of Commerce as Trustee and chair of the Stillwater, Green and Fredon Chamber Council, and is the past Chairperson of its government and legislative committee.
• Served as a Trustee of SCARC Guardianship Services, Inc., the Estate Planning Council of Northern New Jersey, and the Morris County Bar Association.
• President and trustee of the Senior Quality of Life Foundation
• A proud sponsor and supporter of the New Jersey State Fair/Sussex County Farm and Horse Show.

Elenora "Ellie" Benz earned her law degree at New York Law School, New York, New York after undergraduate study at College of Saint Elizabeth, Convent Station, New Jersey.

Ellie is a founding member of the Animal Law Committee of the New Jersey State Bar Association. She lobbied for the passage of the statute that codifies the validity of trusts for domestic animals. Ellie is the principal author of the pet trust and pet emergency preparedness material on the New Jersey State Bar Foundation website.

Practicing in both New York City and Morris County before opening her Newton office, Ellie is a nationally recognized speaker, and is available to speak on estate planning and tax planning to attorneys, professionals, senior clubs, trade associations, special interest groups, church groups, service clubs and civic groups. Ellie has written and had published several articles on estate-planning issues which have appeared in various lay publications. She has also written an article for attorneys on the mechanics of family limited partnerships, and the formation of pet trusts. She has been published in numerous newspapers and magazines and was quoted most recently in Dog Fancy Magazine and Lawyers Weekly on pet trust formation. She volunteers her legal services to Homestead Life Enrichment Foundation, Inc., and Skylands Trail Association & Foundation, Inc. Ellie is also an adjunct faculty member at Sussex County Community College, teaching Trusts & Estates for Paralegals.

Ellie would be delighted to make a presentation to your business group or club on a variety of timely topics relating to estate planning.

Ellie has one son and three grandchildren, and lives on a Sussex County farm with two dogs, three cats, and two horses.