Attorney has a Passion for Protecting Elders

Attorney Karen Jackson of Jackson & Torrone P.C. in Holyoke, Massachusetts, has been working in elder law and estate planning for the last 20 years. She has a passion for protecting her client’s assets from costs associated with disability and nursing home stays.

It’s a true calling for Karen to work with elders and their families to ensure their financial legacies are kept safe and intact.

Hearing about people who have had their finances destroyed through death or disability is frustrating for Karen because she knows that security can be achieved with good planning. This is why she speaks and writes often on elder law and estate planning and even teaches a course on the topic regularly at Holyoke Community College.

Karen earned her bachelor’s degree in science at the University of California, Los Angeles, and earned her law degree at Loyola Law School. She became a member of the Mill River chapter of BNI in 2006, which gives Karen yet another vehicle for speaking about her work and raising awareness on the importance of good estate planning.

Janice met Karen in BNI, and the two have worked together on several projects. Janice promotes Karen’s work through occasional press releases.

When choosing or working with a new attorney on estate planning, Karen offers these tips:

-Find an attorney who is clear and understandable, and who will return emails and calls. If an attorney talks in legalese, find one that can speak in a language that’s meaningful to you.

-Come to the first meeting prepared with a list of all assets and titles.

-Bring all documents for review, including your wills, durable power of attorney, health care proxy, HIPAA release and trusts. It is better to have too much documentation than not enough.

If you have questions for your attorney, make a list to bring with you so that you don’t forget.