Local Elder Law & Estate Planning Firm in the National Spotlight

The Story of Marshall, Parker & Associates

This article originally appeared in the December 2008 edition of "Menus & Merchants"

When Certified Elder Law Attorney Jeff Marshall graduated from Stanford Law School in 1972, he never imagined that a few decades later he would be known as the “Father of Elder Law” in Pennsylvania. At that time, the term “elder law” didn’t even exist.  It wasn’t until 1979 when his mother passed away after a long battle with Cancer that Marshall realized how much expert guidance and planning is needed for families struggling through a loved one’s long-term illness.

“When my mother got sick, my family didn’t know what to do” said Marshall . “I was a highly educated lawyer, and my family turned to me for guidance, but I didn’t have any answers for them. This wasn’t something they taught us in law school.”

When he returned to Pennsylvania in 1980, Attorney Marshall, a native of Lock Haven, opened a law office in Lycoming County.  He worked hard to learn all he could about the legal, financial, and health care problems facing seniors.  Over time he developed planning techniques and options that his clients could use to protect themselves and their families. 

Word quickly spread that there was a lawyer who could help families faced with devastating nursing home costs.  People from all over Northcentral Pennsylvania sought his advice.  Soon Marshall realized he needed to limit his practice to the fields of elder law, estate planning and estate administration. “The government programs and laws facing seniors are so complicated and change so quickly that I had to specialize,” Marshall said. “That is the only way I could provide my clients with the best legal advice.”  

Now, more than 25 years later, the law Firm of Marshall, Parker & Associates has become nationally recognized as experts on elder law and estate planning issues. In 2007, Marshall was awarded the “Excellence in Elder Law” award by the statewide lawyer’s organization, the Pennsylvania Bar Association.  His office reception area is filled with plaques and awards: Best Lawyers in America , Super Lawyer in Elder Law, one of top 100 Lawyers in Pennsylvania in any legal field.  His book, Elder Law in Pennsylvania, received the 2006 ACLEA award for excellence, an international honor.

Marshall ’s law firm has expanded over the years to now include four offices across northeast and central Pennsylvania. Offices are located in Williamsport, Jersey Shore,Wilkes-Barre and Scranton.

Matthew Parker is another of the firm’s Certified Elder Law Attorneys.  Like Attorney Marshall, he too has seen a long term illness affect his family. His grandfather, a life-long resident of New England, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease when Attorney Parker was young.  “I remember the visits to Massachusetts.  My grandfather always had a sense of humor.  He enjoyed playing cards and rooting for the Red Sox,” he said.  “But as his illness progressed, he lost the ability to enjoy those interests.  I saw what Parkinson’s did to him physically and financially,” Parker said.  “If my family had an opportunity to work with an experienced elder law attorney, they could have protected my grandfather’s home from the costs of nursing home care.”

After graduating from Dickinson Law School in 1995, Parker decided to focus on helping people like his grandfather.  He eventually became a principal of the firm of Marshall, Parker & Associates. He has gained wide recognition as an advocate for seniors.  In November 2008 Attorney Parker won a nationally important decision from The Federal Third Circuit Court of Appeals in the case James v. Richman, which establishes vital financial protections for those seniors whose husband or wife needs nursing home care.   

Lycoming College graduate, Attorney Tammy Weber, never expected elder law and estate planning to be the primary focus of her legal career.  A Muncy native, Attorney Weber worked as an Assistant US Attorney in Philadelphia until 1997. She won numerous prestigious awards for her work in major investigations and prosecutions, but it wasn’t until she returned to Montoursville in 2001 and helped an ailing family member through the entire long term care process that she realized that elder law was what she wanted to do.  “I prosecuted many Medicare and Medicaid fraud cases while at the US Attorney’s office, so I understood the other side of the regulations,” Weber commented. “Moving into elder law was a natural transition for me.”

“We are proud of our reputation of being the premier elder law specialists.” said Attorney Marshall. “Our reputation reflects the quality of our work and our love for what we do.  I am so honored that over the past 25 years our firm has been able to help thousands of families who were struggling with the issues my family faced in 1979.  Whether its estate and lifetime legal planning tools like powers of attorney and trusts, benefit programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Veterans benefits, or financial planning tools like annuities, we have the experience and knowledge to help our clients achieve their goals. That is what Marshall, Parker & Associates is all about.

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