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Kathryn C. Casey

Dutton Casey & Mesoloras

Kathryn C. Casey

Dutton Casey & Mesoloras

Kathryn C. Casey

Dutton Casey & Mesoloras

Kathryn is one of only a few Certified Elder Law Attorneys in Illinois. She has practiced exclusively in elder law since 2004. Her practice focuses on long term care planning, estate planning, special needs planning, Medicaid planning and applications, and probate and trust administration. She devotes a substantial portion of her time to helping families plan for the care of a loved one with a chronic care need. Katie represents her clients with a continuity of care that extends from the creation of a long-term care plan through the execution, implementation, and administration of that plan.

Since 2016, Katie has been named by the Leading Lawyers Network as one of the “Top 10 Elder Law Attorneys in Illinois” and a “Top Leading Women Lawyer." She has been named a “Top Elder Lawyer” by Chicago Lawyer and was recently selected by her peers as a “Super Lawyer.” Katie is a frequent speaker with IICLE on topics including estate and Medicaid planning with retirement benefits and estate and Medicaid planning for married couples. Katie has also co-authored “Chapter 4 - Drafting Self-Settled OBRA Trusts” for the 2020 and 2024 Editions of IICLE’s “Special Needs Trusts” publication.

Katie is a dedicated bike commuter and enjoys riding 20 miles roundtrip to her office. She also enjoys gardening on the weekends. Katie and her husband, a professor of philosophy at a local state university, reside in Chicago.

Firm Description

At Dutton Casey & Mesoloras, we provide comprehensive and personally tailored elder law, estate planning, guardianship, and probate services. Through our expertise of over 145 years of combined legal experience, personal attention, and commitment to service, we assist our clients in achieving their goals and finding peace of mind. Our clients can depend on our team for the knowledge, advice, and support they require to resolve their legal needs.

How We Can Assist You:

*Elder Law*
Medicaid Planning and Applications
Litigation for Vulnerable Adults Against Abuse, Neglect, and Financial Exploitation
Care Navigation and Advocacy
Senior Housing Contracts, Admissions and Discharges 

*Estate Planning*
Estate Planning (wills, trusts, powers of attorney)
Long-Term Care Planning (for people living with dementia and other chronic medical conditions)
Special Needs Planning (for people who have a developmental and / or intellectual disability)

 *Guardianship*
Guardianship and Contested Guardianship for Adults and Guardianship for Minors
Litigation for Financial Exploitation
 
 *Probate*
Probate and Trust Administration
Will and Trust Litigation

Offices in Arlington Heights, Chicago, Naperville, and Skokie, Illinois. Appointments are also offered via video conferencing and telephone.

 

Hours

Please contact this attorney for firm hours by clicking here.

Cost

What Is an Elder Law Attorney?

Main Office

65 East Wacker Place
Suite 1200
Chicago, IL 60601

4711 Golf Road
Skokie, IL 60076

1655 N. Arlington Heights Road
Arlington Heights, IL 60004

568 South Wasington Street
Naperville, IL 60540

On the web

View Firm Website

View Firm Blog


Medicaid 101
What Medicaid Covers

In addition to nursing home care, Medicaid may cover home care and some care in an assisted living facility. Coverage in your state may depend on waivers of federal rules.

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How to Qualify for Medicaid

To be eligible for Medicaid long-term care, recipients must have limited incomes and no more than $2,000 (in most states). Special rules apply for the home and other assets.

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Medicaid’s Protections for Spouses

Spouses of Medicaid nursing home residents have special protections to keep them from becoming impoverished.

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What Medicaid Covers

In addition to nursing home care, Medicaid may cover home care and some care in an assisted living facility. Coverage in your state may depend on waivers of federal rules.

READ MORE
How to Qualify for Medicaid

To be eligible for Medicaid long-term care, recipients must have limited incomes and no more than $2,000 (in most states). Special rules apply for the home and other assets.

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Medicaid’s Protections for Spouses

Spouses of Medicaid nursing home residents have special protections to keep them from becoming impoverished.

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Medicaid Planning Strategies

Careful planning for potentially devastating long-term care costs can help protect your estate, whether for your spouse or for your children.

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Estate Recovery: Can Medicaid Take My House After I’m Gone?

If steps aren't taken to protect the Medicaid recipient's house from the state’s attempts to recover benefits paid, the house may need to be sold.

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Help Qualifying and Paying for Medicaid, Or Avoiding Nursing Home Care

There are ways to handle excess income or assets and still qualify for Medicaid long-term care, and programs that deliver care at home rather than in a nursing home.

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Are Adult Children Responsible for Their Parents’ Care?

Most states have laws on the books making adult children responsible if their parents can't afford to take care of themselves.

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Applying for Medicaid

Applying for Medicaid is a highly technical and complex process, and bad advice can actually make it more difficult to qualify for benefits.

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Alternatives to Medicaid

Medicare's coverage of nursing home care is quite limited. For those who can afford it and who can qualify for coverage, long-term care insurance is the best alternative to Medicaid.

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ElderLaw 101
Estate Planning

Distinguish the key concepts in estate planning, including the will, the trust, probate, the power of attorney, and how to avoid estate taxes.

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Grandchildren

Learn about grandparents’ visitation rights and how to avoid tax and public benefit issues when making gifts to grandchildren.

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Guardianship/Conservatorship

Understand when and how a court appoints a guardian or conservator for an adult who becomes incapacitated, and how to avoid guardianship.

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Health Care Decisions

We need to plan for the possibility that we will become unable to make our own medical decisions. This may take the form of a health care proxy, a medical directive, a living will, or a combination of these.

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Estate Planning

Distinguish the key concepts in estate planning, including the will, the trust, probate, the power of attorney, and how to avoid estate taxes.

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Grandchildren

Learn about grandparents’ visitation rights and how to avoid tax and public benefit issues when making gifts to grandchildren.

READ MORE
Guardianship/Conservatorship

Understand when and how a court appoints a guardian or conservator for an adult who becomes incapacitated, and how to avoid guardianship.

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Health Care Decisions

We need to plan for the possibility that we will become unable to make our own medical decisions. This may take the form of a health care proxy, a medical directive, a living will, or a combination of these.

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Long-Term Care Insurance

Understand the ins and outs of insurance to cover the high cost of nursing home care, including when to buy it, how much to buy, and which spouse should get the coverage.

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Medicare

Learn who qualifies for Medicare, what the program covers, all about Medicare Advantage, and how to supplement Medicare’s coverage.

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Retirement Planning

We explain the five phases of retirement planning, the difference between a 401(k) and an IRA, types of investments, asset diversification, the required minimum distribution rules, and more.

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Senior Living

Find out how to choose a nursing home or assisted living facility, when to fight a discharge, the rights of nursing home residents, all about reverse mortgages, and more.

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Social Security

Get a solid grounding in Social Security, including who is eligible, how to apply, spousal benefits, the taxation of benefits, how work affects payments, and SSDI and SSI.

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Special Needs Planning

Learn how a special needs trust can preserve assets for a person with disabilities without jeopardizing Medicaid and SSI, and how to plan for when caregivers are gone.

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Veterans Benefits

Explore benefits for older veterans, including the VA’s disability pension benefit, aid and attendance, and long-term care coverage for veterans and surviving spouses.

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