Jennifer L. VanderVeen, Partner, CELA

Jennifer is a Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA) by the National Elder Law Foundation and is accredited by the Veteran’s Administration to practice before the VA. She is a member of the Elder Law sections of both the Indiana and Michigan state bars. She is a past chairperson of the Indiana Elder Law section and Past President of the Board of Directors of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA).

In 2016, Jennifer was elected to NAELA’s Council of Advanced Practitioners (CAP). A member of CAP is an attorney who has been nominated and selected by her peers – experienced Elder and Special Needs Law attorneys – to be part of the Council as a result of their commitment and contribution to their clients and the ethical, high-quality practice of Elder and Special Needs Law.

Estate Planning & Administration

In addition to her elder law services, Jennifer provides estate planning and estate administration services that include:

• drafting wills and trusts;
• counseling families with special needs individuals;
• advising clients on benefits and taxation;
• powers of attorney;
• and overseeing the administration of estates.

Business Law

Jennifer’s significant experience as an attorney also includes extensive work in the area of business law, counseling business owners and individuals:

• drafting corporate and limited liability company organizational documents;
• providing extensive tax research and analysis on a variety of business related topics;
• assisting with complex real estate and corporate financing transactions;
• and providing ERISA and other employee benefit research and analysis.

Education

• Michigan Bar Probate and Estate Planning Certificate, 2012
• Certified as an Elder Law Attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation, 2006
• The University of Michigan Law School, J.D., 1999
• Albion College, International Political Economy, B.A., 1996

Community Involvement

• Presenter, REAL Services Boomer Bootcamp, 2009-2015
• Former Member, Advisory Board, Alzheimer’s and Dementia Services of Northern Indiana
• CEU Presentations for Facility Staff

Self-settled Special Needs Trusts
Misconceptions Regarding Power of Attorney

Take Your Health Care Wishes with You

Making Caregiving Easier with Technology

What is Elder Law?

New Opportunities for Trust Planning by Disabled Individuals

Coordinating Representation – How Business and Elder Law Counsel Can Work Together to Meet Clients’ Needs

VanderVeen named to NAELA CAP

Presentations

Jennifer has served as a faculty member for a number of ICELA and NAELA seminars on a variety of topics. As a Certified Elder Law attorney, she speaks to both professional and lay groups on a wide range of Elder Law issues, including:

 

• Ethics of Medicaid Gifting, ICLEF Elder Law Institute, 2007
• Planning for Veterans Benefits, ICLEF Elder Law Institute, 2008, 2012, 2013
• Advising Clients on VA Benefits, ICLEF, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
• Ethics of Gifting, NAELA Annual Conference 2009
• Taxation of Special Needs Trusts, NAELA Institute, 2009
• Elder Law for the General Practitioner, Indiana Solo and Small Firm Institute, 2010
• Tax Consequences of Settling a Estate Disputes, NAELA Webinar, 2010
• Drafting in a Time of Uncertainty, NAELA Institute, 2010
• Tax Primer for Elder Law Attorneys, NAELA Annual Meeting, 2011
• IRAs and Special Needs Trusts, NAELA Webinar, 2011
• Tax Issues for the Elder Law Attorney, ICLEF Elder Law Institute, 2011
• Everything You Always Wanted to Know About SNTs, NAELA Institute 2012
• What the Practitioner Needs to Know About Medicaid, St. Joseph County Bar Association, 2012 Veterans Benefits, Indiana
• Solo and Small Firm Institute, 2012
• Veterans Benefits, NAELA Advanced Elder Law Review, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
• Going Mobile and Paperless, NAELA Webinar, 2014
• Defense of Marriage Act, NELF Practicum, 2014
• To Marry or Not To Marry, ICLEF Elder Law Institute, 2014
• Estate Planning Basics, NAELA Essentials Practicum, 2015, 2016
• Elder Law for the Non-Elder Law Attorney, St. Joseph County Bar Association, 2015
• Elder Law Basics, St. Joseph County Bar Association, 2016
• Health and Personal Care Planning, NAELA Essentials Practicum, 2016
• Rolling with the Punches – 2016 Tax Update, NAELA Annual Meeting, 2016

Personal Snapshot

Jennifer grew up in Flushing, Michigan, spending summers working in the family accounting practice. She met her husband, Jay, the day they moved into the dorms their freshman year at Albion College. They moved to the South Bend area in 2006 when Jay joined the Anthropology and Sociology department at IUSB as a Professor. Jennifer and Jay have one son, Benjamin, who is in high school.

Jennifer, Jay, and Ben enjoy traveling, especially to the Disney theme parks. They are all avid readers, although they each enjoy different genres. The whole family enjoys musical theatre and weekend visits to Chicago. Jennifer is a self-professed tech geek, always looking for the latest and greatest gadgets, and can frequently be found using multiple devices at the same time. Friday nights are British television nights in the VanderVeen house, with Top Gear and Dr. Who being particular favorites.