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Jennifer L. Lile

Krugliak, Wilkins, Griffiths & Dougherty

Jennifer L. Lile

Krugliak, Wilkins, Griffiths & Dougherty

Jennifer L. Lile

Krugliak, Wilkins, Griffiths & Dougherty

Jennifer Lile is a director with Krugliak, Wilkins, Griffiths & Dougherty Company, L.P.A.   Her practice focuses on the areas of estate and special needs planning, trust, probate and elder law. 

Jennifer graduated summa cum laude from Kent State University with a B.S. in Secondary English Education and cum laude from the University of Akron School of Law in 2000.  Jennifer is a member of the American Bar Association, as well as the Ohio State and Stark County Bar Associations. In 2007, she was elected to the Executive Committee of the Stark County Bar Association.  She is currently serving as Co-Chairperson of the Stark County Bar Association Elder Law committee and is an active member of the Probate Practice Committee.

Jennifer is a member of the Special Needs Alliance, a national, non-profit organization committed to helping individuals with disabilities and their families.  She serves as President of the Board of Trustees of the Greater East Ohio Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association and is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Golden Key Center for Exceptional Children. 

During law school, Jennifer clerked with Judge R.R. Denny Clunk at the Stark County Probate Court and Judge Sara Lioi at the Stark County Court of Common Pleas, General Division.  After becoming licensed as an attorney, she was appointed magistrate at the Stark County Probate Court under Judges Clunk (2000-2003), Horowitz (2003), and Park (2004-2005).  Jennifer has served as an adjunct professor of Advanced Legal Writing and Research at Kent State University, and was a legal writing instructor from 2000-2003 at the University of Akron Law School. 

She frequently speaks to community groups on topics such as estate planning, special needs planning and elder law and is a frequent lecturer to attorneys and other professionals through organizations such as the National Business Institute and various Bar Associations.  She is also a contributing author to articles published in the Probate Law Journal of Ohio.  Jennifer has been recognized as an “Ohio Rising Star” (2010) by Cincinnati Magazine Ohio Super Lawyers® – Rising Stars Edition and superlawyers.com (top lawyers under 40).  Jennifer has been the featured speaker on Guardianship Law at the American Bar Association’s “Skills Training for Estate Planners” in New York City.

Firm Description

Our practice consists of elder law, special needs trusts, estate planning, and Medicaid planning. Our mission is to lighten our clients' load, to give them peace of mind, and to shelter as much of our clients' assets as possible.

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What Is an Elder Law Attorney?

Main Office

50 South Main Street
Suite 501
Akron, OH 44308

4775 Munson Street NW
P.O. Box 36963
Canton, OH 44735

960 West State Street
Alliance, OH 44601

158 North Broadway Street
New Phila, OH 44663

233 Factory Street
Sugarcreek, OH 44681

On the web

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Medicaid 101
What Medicaid Covers

In addition to nursing home care, Medicaid may cover home care and some care in an assisted living facility. Coverage in your state may depend on waivers of federal rules.

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How to Qualify for Medicaid

To be eligible for Medicaid long-term care, recipients must have limited incomes and no more than $2,000 (in most states). Special rules apply for the home and other assets.

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Medicaid’s Protections for Spouses

Spouses of Medicaid nursing home residents have special protections to keep them from becoming impoverished.

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What Medicaid Covers

In addition to nursing home care, Medicaid may cover home care and some care in an assisted living facility. Coverage in your state may depend on waivers of federal rules.

READ MORE
How to Qualify for Medicaid

To be eligible for Medicaid long-term care, recipients must have limited incomes and no more than $2,000 (in most states). Special rules apply for the home and other assets.

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Medicaid’s Protections for Spouses

Spouses of Medicaid nursing home residents have special protections to keep them from becoming impoverished.

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Medicaid Planning Strategies

Careful planning for potentially devastating long-term care costs can help protect your estate, whether for your spouse or for your children.

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Estate Recovery: Can Medicaid Take My House After I’m Gone?

If steps aren't taken to protect the Medicaid recipient's house from the state’s attempts to recover benefits paid, the house may need to be sold.

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Help Qualifying and Paying for Medicaid, Or Avoiding Nursing Home Care

There are ways to handle excess income or assets and still qualify for Medicaid long-term care, and programs that deliver care at home rather than in a nursing home.

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Are Adult Children Responsible for Their Parents’ Care?

Most states have laws on the books making adult children responsible if their parents can't afford to take care of themselves.

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Applying for Medicaid

Applying for Medicaid is a highly technical and complex process, and bad advice can actually make it more difficult to qualify for benefits.

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Alternatives to Medicaid

Medicare's coverage of nursing home care is quite limited. For those who can afford it and who can qualify for coverage, long-term care insurance is the best alternative to Medicaid.

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ElderLaw 101
Estate Planning

Distinguish the key concepts in estate planning, including the will, the trust, probate, the power of attorney, and how to avoid estate taxes.

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Grandchildren

Learn about grandparents’ visitation rights and how to avoid tax and public benefit issues when making gifts to grandchildren.

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Guardianship/Conservatorship

Understand when and how a court appoints a guardian or conservator for an adult who becomes incapacitated, and how to avoid guardianship.

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Health Care Decisions

We need to plan for the possibility that we will become unable to make our own medical decisions. This may take the form of a health care proxy, a medical directive, a living will, or a combination of these.

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Estate Planning

Distinguish the key concepts in estate planning, including the will, the trust, probate, the power of attorney, and how to avoid estate taxes.

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Grandchildren

Learn about grandparents’ visitation rights and how to avoid tax and public benefit issues when making gifts to grandchildren.

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Guardianship/Conservatorship

Understand when and how a court appoints a guardian or conservator for an adult who becomes incapacitated, and how to avoid guardianship.

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Health Care Decisions

We need to plan for the possibility that we will become unable to make our own medical decisions. This may take the form of a health care proxy, a medical directive, a living will, or a combination of these.

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Long-Term Care Insurance

Understand the ins and outs of insurance to cover the high cost of nursing home care, including when to buy it, how much to buy, and which spouse should get the coverage.

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Medicare

Learn who qualifies for Medicare, what the program covers, all about Medicare Advantage, and how to supplement Medicare’s coverage.

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Retirement Planning

We explain the five phases of retirement planning, the difference between a 401(k) and an IRA, types of investments, asset diversification, the required minimum distribution rules, and more.

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Senior Living

Find out how to choose a nursing home or assisted living facility, when to fight a discharge, the rights of nursing home residents, all about reverse mortgages, and more.

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Social Security

Get a solid grounding in Social Security, including who is eligible, how to apply, spousal benefits, the taxation of benefits, how work affects payments, and SSDI and SSI.

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Special Needs Planning

Learn how a special needs trust can preserve assets for a person with disabilities without jeopardizing Medicaid and SSI, and how to plan for when caregivers are gone.

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Veterans Benefits

Explore benefits for older veterans, including the VA’s disability pension benefit, aid and attendance, and long-term care coverage for veterans and surviving spouses.

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