Justia Legal Services & Lawyers Directory

Attorney Leanna Hamill provides Estate Planning and related legal services to clients of all ages, with a focus on the needs of older individuals and their families. Based in Hingham, Massachusetts, Attorney Leanna Hamill provides the following services:

• Estate Planning
• Estate Administration
• Guardianship and Conservatorship Services
• Comprehensive Estate and Medicaid Planning Evaluations
• Medicaid Advocacy

Leanna works with her clients to plan for and face life’s exciting changes, unexpected challenges and inevitable transitions. By listening to her clients’ needs and helping them identify their goals, Leanna is able to provide solutions to the issues facing today’s families and seniors.

ATTORNEY PROFILE

Leanna graduated cum laude from Suffolk University Law School, and has a degree in Sociology from the University of California, Davis. Prior to practicing law, Leanna worked at Tufts Health Plan, in the Appeals and Grievances Department, for over seven years. Leanna lives in Hingham and is a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and the South Shore Coalition of Workers with the Elderly. Leanna is also one of the co-founders of the Women Attorneys Network of the South Shore ( http://www.wanss.org/ ) and can sometimes be found on Weymouth Community Television doing yoga with Back to Your Senses.

PRACTICE AREAS

Estate Planning

Leanna provides estate planning for clients of all ages and circumstances. For young families this can include selecting a guardian for minor children and planning for their future, while for older families or individuals this can include long-term care and disability planning, or simply updating their previous estate plans to reflect their current situation. Leanna works with clients to draft Wills, Trusts, Durable Powers of Attorney, Health Care Proxies and Living Wills that that take into account each client’s particular needs and wishes.

If necessary, Leanna can refer her clients to a trusted network of financial planners, accountants, geriatric care managers and other professionals to ensure all of her clients’ needs are met.

Estate Administration

Leanna provides full representation of fiduciaries administering estates. Probate administration includes filing the petition for appointment of the personal representative, preparing and filing the inventory of estate assets, paying decedent’s debts, distributing assets, filing tax returns, and filing accounts with the Probate Court.

Guardianship and Conservatorship Services

Leanna represents clients seeking guardianship and conservatorship of relatives who can no longer manage their personal or financial affairs and assists family members in fulfilling the duties imposed by these new roles.

Comprehensive Estate and Long Term Care Planning Evaluations

Leanna begins her representation of many clients with a comprehensive estate and long-term care planning evaluation. This evaluation determines the best planning strategies to pursue in order to meet the estate planning and long-term health care objectives of the client. Leanna examines all aspects of the client’s financial well-being and issues a follow-up letter which summarizes the client’s unique situation, reviews the law, and explains her recommendations for the best possible estate plan for the client.

Medicaid Advocacy

Leanna prepares or assists in the preparation and submission of the Medicaid application to the appropriate long-term care unit of the Division of Medical Assistance (DMA). At the client’s request, she co-ordinates all communications with the DMA, thereby removing the individual as much as possible from the tedious and often frustrating application process. If needed, Leanna can represent clients in connection with Medicaid appeals in administrative hearings before the Board of Hearings.

Danielle G. Van Ess is an experienced attorney with a growing solo practice, "DGVE law." She helps clients with such legal matters as residential real estate transactions, and preparation of Wills and related documents, including naming guardians for minor children. Danielle provides her clients personalized attention to address their specific goals offering them customized solutions and advice. As a wife and mother herself, Danielle understands that the process of seeking and obtaining legal assistance can be intimidating for many of her clients, who tend to be parents of young children. She prides herself on helping them through their particular matters in a friendly and relaxed manner. To foster her clients' comfort, Danielle charges a flat, rather than hourly, fee for most work. Her clients know they can engage her in ongoing, regular dialogue to answer their questions, address their concerns, and explain legal jargon, without fear of incurring further expenses. They also know they can turn to her for assistance whenever the need arises.

Paul Epstein, a native of Hull, graduated Hull High School in 1971. He continued his education at the University of Pennsylvania, graduating with a B.S. in Criminology. Mr. Epstein also has an M.S. in Criminal Justice from American International College, and a J.D. from Franklin Pierce Law Center.

Before starting law school, he worked as a police officer and an investigator for the public defender's office. Upon graduation from law school, he worked as an Assistant District Attorney in Essex County, where he became the supervising ADA for the Lawrence area. As recognition of his extensive trial experience, Mr. Epstein was selected to be a clinical instructor of trial tactics at Harvard Law School.

Prior to forming The Law Offices of Epstein, Lipsey & Clifford P.C. with Bruce Lipsey and Scott Clifford, Mr. Epstein was a founding partner in The Law Offices of Spillane & Epstein, P.C. Attorney Epstein concentrates in Personal Injury, Education Law, Products Liability, Business Mediation, and Criminal Defense. He is admitted to practice in Massachusetts, The Federal District Court, The United States Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. He has also been admitted to argue cases in Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Florida.

Mr. Epstein is a member of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, The Massachusetts Academy of Trial Attorneys, The Massachusetts Bar Association, The Plymouth County Bar Association, and has been named an Advocate by the National College of Advocacy in Alabama. Mr. Epstein has tried hundreds of cases in most Courts in the Commonwealth, and has mediated many business disputes.

Mr. Epstein lives in Hull and is a Board member of many civic and religious organizations. He has two daughters.

I am an attorney who practices solely in the areas of Workers' Compensation and Social Security Disability. I have written and lectured extensively on the subjects and truly enjoy the work I do.

Melissa R. Victor is a well-respected attorney in Southeastern Massachusetts. She is an expert in the areas of Estate Planning, Probate an Trust Administration, Guardianships, Elder Law, Medicaid and Real Estate matters. She graduated from the State University of New York College at Oswego in 1994. She then attended New England School of Law in Boston, where she graduated Cum Laude in 1997. Attorney Victor is admitted to practice law in both the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the State of New York.

Attorney Victor is also a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA). She has been a guest speaker on the show "Legal Beagles" as well as "Hometown Talk" on 1530 AM. She has also been quoted in various newspapers including the Metro West Daily News. She is currently an Adjunct Professor at her alma mater, New England School of Law, where she teaches Wills, Estates and Trusts II. Attorney Victor has also presented hundreds of estate planning seminars for religious organizations, non-profits, social groups and such financial organizations as Merrill Lynch, H.R. Block, Bridgewater Savings Bank and Advest.

John, a.k.a. "Chip" (a nickname he's had since birth) is the principal of the Law Offices of John S. Keating, a general practice law firm in Marshfield, MA serving residents and business on Boston's South Shore. Chip is a graduate of Brown University (B.A., political science, 1985) and Suffolk University Law School (cum laude, 1993). Chip's practice concentrates in civil litigation, real estate, consumer protection (including class action litigation) and family law.

Chip is an active member of the Marshfield community, having served in local office (in a variety of elected and appointed positions), as the parent of three girls in the town's public schools, and as a current youth soccer coach and member of the Marshfield Elks.

Jane is a partner at the law firm of Sedna Law, P.C. The name Sedna was chosen because its multiple meanings fit the Firm's vision. Sedna is a planet-like body discovered in 2004 by a team of U.S. researchers. Sedna is the most distant confirmed planetary object located in our solar system to date – more than 84 billion miles from the sun. Sedna is slowly traveling towards Earth and will reach its closest point in approximately 70 years. Sedna is named for the Inuit goddess of the ocean, who Inuit hunters must appease if they are to travel safely across the seas. Inspired by this namesake, Sedna Law strives to ease the journey of travelers from afar.

Phonetically, Sedna closely approximates the Mandarin Chinese pronunciation of the characters or “xin de” which translates as “new virtue.” Sedna Law strives to offer virtuous and ethical legal services to our clients. From helping family members immigrate to the United States to bringing necessary and key employees for businesses, our Firm approaches each case with expertise and creativity. The guiding objective of Sedna Law is to provide fair and honest assessments of individual immigration cases – to deal openly with its clients, providing diligent and competent representation at a reasonable cost.

Kelly Belt Scibelli graduated New England School of Law in 1999. Her practice currently focuses on compassionate legal representation in divorce, post-divorce and bankruptcy cases.