Are You Already an Elder Lawyer? How Estate Planners may be Inadvertently (and Successfully) Practicing Elder Law

By Vanessa L. Kanaga Esq., H. Amos Goodall Esq., Robert A. Mason JD CELA CAP and Cheryl L. Shaw Esq. Last updated Jun 10, 2022

Some attorneys feel that Elder Law and Estate Planning are distinct disciplines, and that a focus on one or the other for each individual client is critical. Others are of the opinion that Elder Law is really just good Estate Planning. Said another way, Estate Planning itself is already the type of asset protection engaged in by Elder Law practitioners, so Estate Planners are ideally positioned to serve Elder Law clients as well. But which theory is correct?

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Vanessa L. Kanaga Esq.

Vanessa Kanaga currently serves as InterActive Legal’s Special Advisor on Estate Planning and Legal Strategy. She is the former CEO of InterActive Legal. Vanessa received her J.D. from Cornell Law School and holds a B.A. in Philosophy from Wichita State University, as well as an Advanced Professional Certificate from New York University School of Law. She is licensed in New York, Kansas, and Arizona, and currently lives in Arizona.

Prior to joining InterActive Legal in 2013, Vanessa practiced in New York, at Milbank LLP and Moses & Singer LLP, and in Kansas, at Hinkle Law Firm, LLC. She has experience in a range of estate planning matters, including high net worth tax planning and asset protection planning.

In 2024, Vanessa returned to the practice of law. She is an Associate Attorney at Greengard Law Firm, PLC in Phoenix, Arizona.

H. Amos Goodall Esq.

Amos Goodall, with the eldercare and special needs planning firm of Steinbacher, Goodall & Yurchak, is certified as an Elder Law Attorney (CELA) by the National Elder Law Foundation, is a Fellow both of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), and is a member of the Special Needs Alliance. He advises persons and families with estate planning concerns, competency issues and estate administrations, and is a frequent lecturer on ethics and Elder Law topics. Amos received his bachelor of arts degree from Franklin and Marshall College, his juris doctor from Fordham University School of Law, and his LL.M. in Elder Law from Stetson University.

Robert A. Mason JD CELA CAP

Robert A. Mason, JD, CELA, CAP is owner of Mason Law, PC, of Asheboro and Charlotte, North Carolina, a firm devoted exclusively to legal issues involving estate planning, the elderly, the disabled and asset protection planning.

Bob also is the creator and developer of TrustChimp, a trusts and tax learning resource for elder law attorneys and other financial professionals. Through TrustChimp Bob conducts intensive three day seminars throughout the country for attorneys mastering advanced Public Benefits, Trusts, and Tax issues. Better yet, those materials are available as an online “at home or office” course called “The BaseCamp.”

Cheryl L. Shaw Esq.

Cheryl Shaw is owner and managing partner of Kalander & Shaw, Ltd., located in Providence, Rhode Island. Her practice is concentrated in Estate Planning, Elder Law and Asset Protection Planning, Estate and Trust Administration, Wills and Trusts, Guardianship and Probate Court Matters. She is licensed to practice in both Rhode Island and Massachusetts, and is a graduate of Boston College Law School.