WHAT IS NAELA’s PRESTIGIOUS COUNCIL OF ADVANCED PRACTITIONERS (CAP)?

In the field of law, many attorneys dedicate their time to specialize in certain fields. One of those fields, becoming particularly common as the Baby Boomer demographic continues to age, is the area of elder law.

Elder law is a specialized area of legal practice, covering estate planning, wills, trusts, arrangements for care, social security and retirement benefits, protection against elder abuse (physical, emotional and financial), and other involving involving older people.

When dealing with such important matters, it is critical to know your attorney is a trusted professional who holds the highest level of expertise. That is why the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) and the Council of Advanced Practitioners (CAP) are so important.

NAELA represents attorneys who are experienced and trained in working with the legal problems of aging Americans and individuals with special needs. In 2005, NEALA established the Council of Advanced Practitioners (CAP), an invitation-only council designated to recognize those members of NAELA who are perceived to be innovators in the field of elder law, and who are likely to be instrumental to the future of elder law.

To be invited to join CAP, an attorney is required to be a member of NAELA for no fewer than 10 consecutive years, be rated “AV – Preeminent,” (the highest rating available for legal skills and ethical conduct), and be a NAELA Fellow or Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA).

CAP members are held to the highest standards of professionalism, commitment, knowledge, ethics, and competence. There are only 12 CAP members in the state of New York. When an attorney is a CAP member, you can be sure that you are receiving the highest quality assistance possible.

For these reasons and more, BSF&B Partner Richard J. Shapiro is truly second-to-none in the Hudson Valley for the specialties of Estate Planning, Probate, and Elder Law. In 2019, Richard received the CAP designation, an accomplishment that supplements his already impressive growing list of distinctions:

• The only* Certified Elder Law Attorney* whose home office is based in Orange, Sullivan, Dutchess, or Ulster counties
• One of only 36* CELAs in New York State
• One of fewer than 550* CELAs nationwide
• Selected to join the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys’ prestigious Council for Advanced Practitioners (CAP) in 2019, one of only 12 CAP members in New York State*

*As of 11.7.2019; the National Elder Law Foundation is not affiliated with any governmental authority. Certification is not a requirement for the practice of law in the State of New York and does not necessarily indicate greater competence than other attorneys experienced in this field of law.

Courtesy of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys