Comprehensive Elder Law Services
Biography
Monica A. Benson is a Certified Elder Law Attorney* who has spent her 15 year career assisting clients with elder law needs. She represents clients in a number of different areas, including drafting estate planning documents such as wills, trusts, and powers of attorney; probate matters for estates of all sizes, whether the decedent died with or without a will; guardianship matters, where she represents guardians, wards, or serves as a court-appointed attorney; and Medicaid planning, helping clients determine, obtain and maintain eligibility. Monica also helps teach the next generations of attorneys as an Adjunct Professor at Texas A&M University School of Law, teaching Elder Law and a practical skills Wills and Estates Clinic.
Education
- Texas Wesleyan University School of Law, Fort Worth, Texas
- Juris Doctor - 05/2005
- Texas A&M University
- B.A., Bachelor of Arts - 05/2002
- Major: History
Classes & Seminars
- Adjunct Professor, Texas A&M University School of Law, Elder Law and Wills and Estates Clinic
- Guardianship and Divorce, 2019 Elder Law Conference, Galveston, Texas, August 2019
- Medicaid and IRAs, Disability and Elder Law Attorney Association – Houston, March 2019
- Tarrant Area Gerontological Society Conference, “Guardianships,” March 2016
- Fort Worth Paralegal Association, “Elder Law,” November 2015
- Alzheimer’s Association Spring Symposium, “Medicaid Qualification, Planning and Troubleshooting,” March 2015
- Guardianship Bootcamp, Tarrant County Bar Association and Tarrant County Probate Court No. One, “Long Term Care Funding,” January 2015
Pro-Bono Activities
- Chancellor, Trinity Episcopal Church Foundation, Fort Worth
- Board of Directors, Cliburn 180°, Van Cliburn Foundation, 2016-2018
Published Works
- Palliative Care Team, Texas Health Resources, April 2018
- Legal and Financial Decision Making, First United Methodist Church, series on dementia and caregiving, October 2017
- HICAP Benefits Counselor Training for the Area Agency on Aging, “Overview of Elder Law,” June 2016
- Guardianship and Divorce, 2019
Professional Associations
- Tarrant County Probate Bar Association, Member, Past President 2014-15, President 2013-14, President-Elect 2012-13, Treasurer 2011-12, Board of Directors 2008-11
- Board of Directors, National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Texas Chapter, 2017- Present
- Member, National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys
Certified Legal Specialties
- Certified Elder Law Attorney, as certified by the National Elder Law Foundation and recognized by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization
Current Employment Position
- Managing Partner
Practice Areas
- Elder Law
- Estate Planning
- Probate
- Guardianship
- Medicaid Planning
Bar Admissions
- Texas, 2005
Honors
- Texas Monthly Super Lawyers, Elder Law, 2020
- Texas Monthly Super Lawyer Rising Star in the field of Elder Law for 2010 and 2014-2019, a designation awarded to no more than 2.5% of eligible attorneys. (Super Lawyers is a Thompson Reuters service.)
- Top Attorney, Elder Law, by Fort Worth, Texas Magazine from 2010-2020
- Top Attorney, Elder Law, 360 West Magazine, 2017-2020