Michele Fuller is Founder of the Michigan Law Center located in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Her practice focuses on elder and disability law, as well as post-settlement planning. She frequently serves as Guardian Ad Litem for a variety of courts, and frequently participates in seminars for attorneys, paralegals, service providers and parent groups. She has participated in community outreach and education programs with Blue Cross/Blue Shield and participated in an American Bar Association special needs trust webinar on administration issues. She frequently publishes articles for probate and trial lawyers on special needs trust and settlement issues on a local and national level, and most recently published a feature article in Lawyer’s Weekly. Michele has also appeared on the local television show “Senior Moments” discussing elder law issues, and has been interviewed for Senior Living Magazine.
Michele serves on the Board of Directors for the Macomb County Probate Bar Association and is acting Treasurer. Her most recent seminar discussed the new CMS reporting requirements for liability cases and how it impacts a probate practice. She was nominated to serve on the Elder Law and Disability Rights Section counsel of the State Bar of Michigan in 2008, and was a presenter at the 2009 fall conference. She is also an active member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and Academy of Special Needs Planners, and is a regular contributor to the Special Needs Settlement Planning newsletter. Michele is honored to serve as the Director of Advocacy, Inc., a non-profit corporation dedicated to serving individuals with disabilities. Advocacy, Inc. offers special needs trust administration services for all types of special needs trusts, including d(4)(A) trusts, third party, the Michigan Preservation Trust (a pooled self-settled d(4)(C) trust), and a third party pooled trust. She is also a long standing member of the Michigan Association for Justice.
After graduating with Honors as a member of the James Madison College at Michigan State University, Michele attended the American University as part of their Masters program and obtained her Juris Doctor from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.
Christopher W. Smith is an attorney dedicated to making life easier for individuals and families. Licensed to practice law in Michigan and Indiana, Christopher grew up in Greensburg, Indiana and earned a B.S. from the University of Virginia with majors in business and history. After working as a profit forecaster and financial analyst for Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati, Christopher earned his law degree from Indiana University – Bloomington (magna cum laude, Order of the Coif) where he served as managing editor of the Indiana Law Journal. After law school, Christopher served as an Associate in the business litigation group of Faegre Baker Daniels, LLP in Indianapolis where he was named a “Rising Star” by Indiana Super Lawyers in 2009 and 2010.
After moving to Michigan, Christopher dedicated himself to addressing issues that affect all of us as we age. Christopher assists clients with estate and life planning, probate/estate administration, Medicare, Medicaid, elder mediation, and many other legal issues that his clients face. As a trained litigator and son of a prosecutor, Christopher also likes to keep active in the courtroom.
As the favorite (and only) brother of a sister with Down Syndrome, Christopher has a lifelong passion for special needs issues and dedicates part of his practice to helping families plan for their loved ones with special needs.
Christopher serves on the Council for the Elder and Disability Rights Section of the State Bar of Michigan. He also spends a substantial amount of time volunteering for the Medicare/Medicaid Assistance Program and is an advocate for and a past volunteer of the Elder Law and Advocacy Center – a nonprofit legal services organization dedicated to helping seniors in Wayne County, Michigan (Detroit). Christopher is also a volunteer guardianship reviewer for the Oakland County, Michigan Probate Court.
Christopher is available for presentations on Medicare, Medicaid, Estate and Life Planning, Special Needs Planning, and many other issues relating to aging, planning, and special needs. He also writes a popular quarterly article highlighting recent news for elder practioners.
Articles and Publications
Recent News for the Elder Practitioner – Winter 2012
Recent News for the Elder Practitioner – Fall 2011
Recent News for the Elder Practitioner – Summer 2011
Recent News for the Elder Practitioner – Spring 2011
Handouts
Top 10 Medicare Tips
