GET TO KNOW SHIRLEY B. WHITENACK

Connecting with families and their stories is a great motivator for Elizabeth Friman, Esq., in her law practice at Fleming & Curti, PLC, in Tucson, Ariz. She loves Mexican food and puttering around in her backyard. Her best ways to chase away stress include taking walks with her dog, cooking, and sleeping in on the weekend. Learn more about Elizabeth in this short interview.

I had been transitioning my practice from commercial litigation to estate and trust litigation and elder law in the early 1990s. In 1994, after the enactment of OBRA ’93, I had been asked to reform or modify certain trusts for the benefit of individuals with special needs so that they would comply with the new law pertaining to special needs trusts. These reformations and modifications often required court approval at the time. As a litigator, I was very comfortable in a court room. I found it to be particularly gratifying to assist clients in maximizing the government benefits that are available to individuals with special needs so that their quality of life could be improved.

I advise and assist clients in connection with planning for aging, illness, incapacity, special needs and the costs and repercussions of long-term care. I help clients identify the issues or problems they are confronting, and find solutions tailored to their particular needs to provide them with the security and peace of mind that they deserve.

Learn all you can about public benefits that are available to those with special needs and the unique challenges that families with children with special needs face, especially as the children become adults and the parents are confronted with the prospect of providing care and financial support for their children after they are gone. Be mindful that this is not a “cookie cutter” practice and that it often requires thinking outside the box.

I graduated from high school at 16 and college at 20. At that time, my goal was to get married, have children and become an English teacher after my children were grown. Circumstances had me pivot from that plan and I went to law school when I was 30 and had two sons.

I’m inspired by other attorneys I’ve come to know through the Special Needs Alliance, NAELA and similar organizations who share their knowledge with other attorneys and allied professionals as well as their clients. I love the ability to brainstorm with experienced, compassionate and collegial lawyers who are experts in this field.

I was invited by Tom Begley to attend an SNA meeting in Washington, DC in or about 2005. I was completely blown away by the collegiality of the members in attendance as well as the high-level educational sessions that took place. I was honored to be invited to join this prestigious organization that does so much to enhance the practice of special needs law.