Becoming an elder law attorney has allowed me to find my life’s work: helping clients preserve their life savings. My greatest joy as an attorney has been to help keep a spouse from losing everything just because they can no longer keep their loved one at home. Oftentimes, my clients have been neglecting themselves and their own health because of the mistaken belief that they cannot afford to place their spouse in a nursing home. Others have spent almost every dime to keep someone at home. These are the clients that I love to help.

I was born and raised in Rogersville, Missouri, graduating from Logan-Rogersville High School in 2006. I stayed local for college, earning a full ride from Missouri State University. I graduated cum laude in 2010 with my Bachelor’s in Global Studies/Political Science. I was lucky enough to attend Case Western Reserve University with a full scholarship as a Hugo Grotius Scholar and Frederick K. Cox International Center Fellow. I was also chosen during that time to serve as a member of the University’s Honor Court and Community Standards Board, based on faculty recommendations for students with high moral character.

I started my career as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in Christian County, where I spent practically every day in the courtroom. I prosecuted a large range of offenses, starting with traffic tickets and misdemeanor assaults, moving on to DWI and manslaughter cases, and finally taking over the felony property crimes cases loads for my last year, which included burglary, robbery, as well as financial exploitation of the elderly.

I was lucky enough in 2020 to find what I feel like is my work’s life purpose, which is to help clients navigate the Medicaid and long-term care process. I was fortunate to be trained by local attorney Sativa Boatman, who mentored me through my first Medicaid files. During my first two years, I was able to save my clients over $2 million from being drained by the nursing home.

In my spare time, I enjoy spending as much time as possible with my best friend and husband, Brad. I also give back to the community through the Junior League of Springfield, of which I am currently a non-voting member of the board as Parliamentarian. I also serve on the board for Hospice Foundation of the Ozarks and am a committee member for The Walk to End Alzheimer’s. I’m a member of the Springfield Metropolitan Bar, the Greene County Estate Planning Council, and Southern Missouri Women’s Lawyers.

Firm Description

At Fortified Elder Law, we specialize in Medicaid planning and long-term care planning for the future and for people and families in immediate need of assistance, also known as “Medicaid crisis planning.” With the proper estate planning (Trusts, Wills, Powers of Attorney, and Medicaid planning advice), Fortified Elder Law can protect your hard earned life’s savings from being drained by the Nursing Home or being taken by the state. If a loved one is soon to be or is already in the nursing home, we can typically save everything to a healthy spouse or preserve half of your nest egg to your family. We seek to empower our clients to protect their legacy AND their future.

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