Diane's practice extends beyond traditional estate planning.  She focuses her practice on helping individuals with disabilities achieve and finance a superior quality of life.  This may include helping an individual set up a trust for a disabled family member, helping a plaintiff in a lawsuit preserve andy settlement funds while still accessing public public benefits, to helping parents obtain guardianship and conservatorship over their disabled child.  A former civil litigator, Diane has the skills to bring matters to a hearing or a trial.  Thus, she handles both appeals from denials of benefits and contested guardianship matters.  Diane also has an interest in matters involving the abuse of elders and disabled individuals, and she has obtained Certification as an At-Risk Adult Crime Tactics Specialist from the Georgia Department of Human Services.  

Diane received her B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1992, and her J.D. from the Emory University School of Law in 1997. After law school, Diane worked as an employee benefits associate for Kilpatrick Stockton, LLC and later as a senior litigation associate for Casey Gilson Leibel, P.C. Diane served on the Editorial Board of the Georgia Bar Journal from 1999 to 2001, as editor of ElderCare Matters from 2005 to 2006, and currently is a member of the Atlanta Bar Association, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, and the Academy for Special Need Planners.  She is a frequent speaker to the public and to other attorneys on elder law and special needs topics, including "Elder Law: B asics of Elder Law from A-Z"; "Legal and Long Term care Issues for Special Needs Planning"; and "The ABLE Act - Is it a Game-Changer?".

Outside of her law practice, Diane lives in Sandy Springs with her husband Mike, their three sons, and a lab-pittie mix named Corey.  A self-proclaimed yarn-addict, Diane is a member of the Noble Knitters and the Atlanta Knitting Guild. In any remaining free time, Diane enjoys walking and has walked two half-marathons for Team in Training for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Firm Description

Elderly and individuals with disabilities increasingly encounter complex legal issues concerning their medical care, financial status and housing options. I meet with my clients to identify the legal challenges they face, to advise them of their rights and the available options, and to develop a plan that will best meet their immediate and long-term needs. When necessary, we work with private and public resources to ensure that our clients receive the appropriate services. We believe that this holistic approach affords our clients a better quality of life.

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