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MICHAEL R. CROWDER helps his clients plan for life. He teams up with his clients to formulate an estate plan that meets their needs and desires, and crafts their wills and trusts in a way that ensures their assets are best utilized during their life and then effectively passed along at death, taxes are minimized, protection from creditors is maximized, and, most importantly, loved ones are provided for.
Michael particularly enjoys being an advocate for his elderly clients. He assists them in planning for, applying for, and remaining eligible for Medicaid, VA, SSI, and other benefits - he has won multiple hard-fought appeals for his clients' TennCare and SSI benefits. He also helps them negotiate, or, if necessary, litigate family disputes over property rights or other issues. Additionally, he helps clients obtain and administer conservatorships for their disabled loved ones.
Michael also assists in the administration of estates in probate court, and helps his small business and non-profit clients on issues ranging from formation and governance, taxes, contracts, fundraising, employment issues, property rights, and litigation.
Michael received his law degree from the University of Tennessee, College of Law and his undergraduate degree in Religion from Princeton University, where he studied the history of early Christianity and also played offensive line on the football team. Michael and his wonderful wife, Katey, have one son, Henry. When he's not with his clients, you can usually find Michael with his family working on a new "project" for their 90-year-old house in north Knoxville.
Areas of Practice
Trust and Estate Planning and Administration
Elder Law
Business and Corporate Law
Nonprofit and Tax Exempt
Church Law
Education
Princeton University – A.B., 2011
University of Tennessee – J.D., 2014
Bar Admissions
Tennessee – 2014
Memberships
National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys
Knoxville Estate Planning Council
Knoxville Bar Association
Tennessee Bar Association
Speaking Engagements
Michael regularly gives presentations on topics related to his practice areas. If you would like Michael to speak to your group, please contact him. Some of his recent speaking engagements include:
“Ethics in Probate Practice,” National Business Institute, December 2017
“Administering the Estate Effectively,” National Business Institute, August 2017
“Using Irrevocable Trusts to Qualify for Medicaid and VA Benefits,” National Business Institute, November 2016
“Medicaid Estate Recovery Rules, Remedies and Appeals,” National Business Institute, August 2016
“Social Security Retirement Benefits: Looking at the Big Picture to Benefit Your Client,” Tennessee Attorneys Memo, May 2016
“The Nuts and Bolts of Social Security Retirement Benefits,” TBA Court Square Series, July 2015