Evansville, IN Elder Law Attorney Glenn A. Deig

What is a Certified Elder Law Attorney?

A Certified Elder Law Attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation has the advanced training and experience in all matters of estate planning included but not limited to;

long-term financial planning,
the effects of state and federal income and death taxes on your estate,
public entitlement programs such as Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security, and
the conservation, disposition and administration of an elder person's estate with the proper utilization of such tools as:

Wills
Trusts
Powers of Attorney
Guardianship Administration

What are the qualifications for becoming a Certified Elder Law Attorney?

The minimum standards for certification as a Certified Elder Law Attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation are set out in Section 5 of the Rules and Regulations adopted by the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA).

In order to qualify for certification, all of the following requirements must be met:

Must be licensed to practice law in at least one state

Must have practiced law for five years immediately preceding application

Must be currently practicing law

Must be either a member in good standing of the bars in all places in which you are licensed or have been a member in good standing at the time any license was voluntarily surrendered

Must have spent an average of at least 16 hours per week practicing elder law for three years preceding applcation

Must have handled a minimum of 60 elder law matters during those three years

Must have participated in 45 hours of continuing legal education in elder law during the three years preceding application

Must submit the names of five references from attorneys who are familiar with attorney's competence and qualifications in elder law

Must sit for the certification exam within two years of filing application

Glenn A. Deig meets all of these standards and has been declared a Certified Elder Law Attorney by The National Elder Law Foundation.

What are the qualifications for becoming an Estate Administration and Probate Specialist?

In order for an attorney to become an Estate Administration and Probate Specialist, he or she must have the following qualifications and apply to the Estate Planning and Administration Specialty Certification Board of the Indiana State Bar Association:

A Board Certified Indiana Trust and Estate Attorney must devote an average of at least 500 hours per year (at least 25% of the attorney’s yearly workload) in estate and trust law and accumulate at least 5,000 career hours in the subject. Elder law is a highly specialized field; very few attorneys meet the requirements to become a Board Certified Indiana Trust and Estate Attorney.

The certification rules require these specialized attorneys to spend much more classroom time each year than general practice attorneys. Ordinarily, attorneys in Indiana must spend at least 36 hours in a classroom setting on their choice of subjects and at least 3 classroom hours every 3 years studying ethics law. A certified specialist must get the 3 ethics hours too, but must also attend at least 45 classroom hours every 3 years in specialized study. As a result, a certified specialist in estate and trust law must spend 3 more classroom hours every year than a normal attorney and must spend all of that time studying estate, trust, and guardianship subjects. Naturally, this intensified training forces a certified specialist to maintain a much more complete and current understanding of the subject.

Certification candidates must pass a very complex all day written test on: property law; will drafting and execution; intestate wealth transfer; gifts; life insurance and annuities; trust law; estate administration procedures for deceased Indiana residents and residents of other states; elective decisions for tax and estate administration purposes; income taxation of estates, trusts, and beneficiaries; estate, gift, and generation skipping transfer taxes; inheritance taxes and related topics; capital gains taxation; rules of professional conduct; wealth transfers through multi-party accounts, transfer on death accounts, and retirement plans; Uniform Transfer to Minors Act; estate, trust, and guardianship litigation; and documents for incapacity planning and guardianship. The Trust and Estate Specialty Board offers the test about every other year and only about 60% to 75% of eligible candidates pass it.

Glenn A. Deig has completed all of these qualifications and examinations and has been certified as an Estate Administration and Probate Specialist by the Board of the Probate, Trust and Real Property Section of the Indiana State Bar Association.