As my father's health declined, I began to realize that there were unresolved estate matters that…read morewould need to be addressed. After putting out some feelers to friends, four of those friends recommended calling Claire Lewis due to my specific circumstances.
Lewis specializes in elder law and is one of Indiana's most recognized faces in the area. Her practice is on the westside of Indy not too far from Avon. She's won a slew of awards for her work and advocacy, though her practice is surprisingly low-key. It was one of my lawyer friend's recommendations that ultimately made me call Lewis - he indicated that she wasn't the cheapest (and she's not), but she's one of the best (she is).
If there's a downside to her practice, it's that she tends to be booked out several weeks. She did have an "emergency" appointment available, though even that was a good month away. In my case, unfortunately, that meant that my father passed away before the appointment and my need went from estate planning to estate managing. My father had done just enough to make things doable and Claire has been a very matter-of-fact gem in getting the wheels in motion.
So, what is elder law? Elder law includes estate planning, wills, guardianships, healthcare reps, trust establishments, family planning, planning for disability and/or competency issues, business planning, and more. It can seem basic, however, it's quite complicated and each state and each county within each state will have individual nuances.
I've had two appointments with Claire. The first was more of a consultation as she looked over paperwork, determined where the process was at, and made some initial recommendations. She has both hourly rate tasks and flat-rate tasks (NOTE: I'm intentionally not discussing my own rates as I'm aware they can vary according to nuances of individual cases). Very early on, a recommendation she made cleared up an issue and resolved a significant matter. Quite honestly, her expertise paid for itself on day one.
She's straightforward and matter-of-fact. She let me know my responsibilities in the journey, any risks, a variety of the possibilities, and even some of the nuances of my specific county. She dispelled some myths (in Indiana, much of this is done electronically rather than showing up to courthouses). As my journey had already started, she let me know what I'd done right intuitively and areas where I could have chosen better.
Her office has accessible parking (2 spots) and a curb cut to the sidewalk. There's a double-glass door entry that is not automatic. There's a desk as you enter and typically the person will see you if help is needed. The conference room seemed to be accessible and decorated with a combo of professional (awards/degrees) and personal (family photos/military).
I can sometimes be cheap, however, a good friend's recommendation led me to making the right choice here. We're already talking about planning my own estate once my family estate is resolved. No one wants to go through this experience, however, doing so in advance is guaranteed to lower stress when tragedy happens. While I wish my appointment had been earlier, thus far this has been a very positive experience and for those needing elder law expertise I would definitely recommend Claire Lewis.
