PTLive - Protected Tomorrows Special Needs Directory

Engaged in the practice of law since 1965, Bob practices primarily in: • Income tax for partnerships and LLCs • Estate, business, and tax planning • Postmortem trust and probate administration • Medicaid protective special-needs trusts • Charitable-gift strategies Bob is an adjunct professor at William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, where he teaches or has taught courses about income tax for partnerships and LLCs; wills and trusts; advanced estate planning; and charitable gifts and foundations.

He has been among the most active members of the elder law bar in Maryland and D.C. dealing with Medicaid long term care issues. While he deals with all Medicaid long term care issues ­ planning, applications, appeals, "level of care," recoveries ­ he has focused especially on steps to protect "community spouses," the wives and husbands of nursing home residents getting Medicaid benefits. His successes include getting Maryland to respect out-of-state former homes on the same basis as in-state homes, getting Maryland to comply with special court orders awarding extra income or resources to community spouses (the case was settled after six years, but for one step along the way, see the Fourth Circuit's decision in McGhee v. Director, Maryland Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene, 1999 WL); and getting D.C. Superior Court to adopt a generous basic needs standard for awarding extra income or resources to community spouses in guardianship proceedings, In re Tyler, 2002 WL.

The Law Office of Ruthann P. Lacey, P.C. was established in 1995 in Tucker, Georgia. Ms. Lacey is Certified as an Elder Law Attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation, and concentrates her practice solely in Elder and Special Needs Law. As such, our practice includes advising clients and implementing legal planning with regard to each of the following substantive practice areas: Estate and Tax Planning Wills, Probate and Estate Administration Revocable and Irrevocable Trusts Special Needs Trusts Durable Financial Powers of Attorney Durable Medical Powers of Attorney Real Property Guardianship Living Wills Health Law Independent Living Options Nursing Home Issues Financing Long-Term Healthcare Medicare, Medicaid, and SSI Issues

We provide legal assistance in North Central Florida to our clients in the areas of special needs trust drafting and administration, as well as estate planning (wills and trusts), probate and trust administration, guardianship, elder law and asset protection planning.

Shirley B. Whitenack is a partner with Schenck, Price, Smith & King’s Litigation Department and Tax, Trusts and Estates Department. She has a varied practice in civil litigation on the trial and appellate levels in federal and state courts. Ms. Whitenack devotes a substantial portion of her practice to trust and estate litigation and elder and disability law, particularly surrogate arrangements to protect the elderly and people with disabilities, special needs planning and Medicaid Appeals. She also is a co-chair of the firm’s Fiduciary Litigation Practice Group and co-chair of the firm’s Elder and Disability Law Practice Group.

The Special Kids Law Center, LLC offers professional, earnest and reasonably priced legal services for those who face challenges in obtaining an adequate education for their special needs child, for those who are facing the challenge of providing a guardian for their incapacitated child, for those who seek to create a special needs trust to protect the financial future of a disabled child, as well as for those who have suffered violations of their rights as protected by Americans with Disabilities Act or the United States Constitution.

A primary focus of the Dale Law Firm, PC is serving the needs of persons with disabilities and their families. The firm is dedicated to advocacy of the needs of persons with disabilities, prevention of abuse, and assisting them to achieve as much independence as is possible.

Areas of practice: Bussiness and corporate Law, Family Law, Real Estate, Estate Planning, Trusts and Probate.

We are a broad-based firm concentrating in Elder Law, Estate and Life Planning and transactions involving family businesses. We pride ourselves on our ability to provide our clients with high quality personalized service in a cost-effective manner.

The Chicago estate planning and probate lawyer of Sylvester Law Firm makes the estate planning process easy and convenient for you. We understand that you might have a busy work-week, so we make ourselves available on Saturdays and Sundays. Also, if you prefer not to come to either of our offices in Wilmette, Illinois or Stuart, Florida, all client meetings can take place in the comfort of your own home or office.

The attorneys practice principally in the areas of general estate planning, probate court matters, corporate law, real estate, employment, and family law with a special concentration in issues unique to families with members who have special needs or are elderly. Several members of the firm are licensed in multiple states.

We can protect your assets from the cost of nursing home or other long-term care .We can assure security for your spouse and provide legacy for children. We can guide you through the Medicaid Application maze and save you time and money We can help you insure that your lifetime of hard work and careful planning will benefit you during your lifetime and your loved ones after your death. We can help you avoid paying unnecessary taxes. We can save you time and money by assisting you in complying with the Prudent Investor Act, The Income and Principal Accounting Act, and by preparing and filing all Federal and State Income, Estate, Inheritance and Gift Tax returns. We will help you avoid personal liability as Executor or Trustee that can arise by making an honest mistake with the administration of an estate or trust. We can assist you in insuring that a tort victim retains public benefits including SSI and Medicaid while benefiting from the significant tort recovery. We can prevent a malpractice claim being filed against the PI attorney for failing to protect those benefits for his/her client.

Aging, disability and chronic illness raise tough questions for families. Elder Law Practice of Timothy L. Takacs has the answers. For more than a decade, the Elder Law Practice of Timothy L. Takacs has been helping families respond to the legal, financial, physical and psychological challenges presented by long life, illness and disability. As an elder law practice that specializes in Life Care Planning, we help families protect assets and coordinate care. Founder Timothy L. Takacs, CELA, one of the most respected elder law attorneys in the nation, leads an interdisciplinary team of care coordinators and other professionals who work together to enhance the quality of life for elders.

We represent high net-worth individuals and families to plan the succession of their estate and structure appropriate distribution methods which suit the family dynamics. We especially enjoy representing clients who present complex or novel situations and those who can benefit from sophisticated and creative planning techniques such as family revocable or irrevocable trusts, grantor trusts, family limited liability companies, and charitable trusts/foundations. We enjoy working with any type of family situations and do not impose a minimum net worth requirement on our clients. We also assist families to fulfill their philanthropic and charitable goals. There are certain situations which would benefit both the family and the charitable organizations while minimizing income and estate taxes.

Every client has different wants and needs, whether it is naming an agent under a Texas durable power of attorney to handle your property and financial affairs if you are incapacitated or setting up a supplemental needs trust in order to ensure a disabled family member's access to needed public benefits. Every client deserves the most experienced and knowledgeable elder law attorneys available. Wesley E. Wright and Molly Dear Abshire both share an intense, focused interest in legal issues that are very important to your well-being, whether it is setting up a Miller Trust fund or an advance directive. We are professionals committed to finding the best solutions for you. Our talented and innovative team will help you with the details of elder law issues, including legal guardianship in Texas, so you can enjoy life to the fullest.

William King Self, Jr., has been designated an Elder Law Specialist by the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialist and a Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA) by the National Elder Law Foundation. Mr. Self's elder law practice focuses on satisfying “life planning” needs, working with clients and their families to help his elder clients live full and secure lives. In 2006, King was selected for membership in the Special Needs Alliance, a national network of attornies who concentrate on providing special needs services to individuals with disabilities and their families. His extensive experience with needs based government programs allows him to coordinate public benefits with private assets and enhance the quaility of life for people with disabilities.