Cheryl N. Smith
Cheryl practices primarily in the areas of Estate Planning, Business and Succession Planning, Probate, Estate Settlement and Trust Administration, Charitable Planning, Elder Law, Disability Law and Education Law.
Profile
Prior to joining the firm, Cheryl practiced law for ten years in a boutique Boston law firm before becoming a partner at a New Hampshire firm. She relocated to Tennessee where she established her own practice while continuing to serve her New England clients.
Throughout her career, Cheryl has advised clients on the many different aspects of estate planning, probate administration, and business succession planning. She is experienced in implementing a full range of estate planning structures from essential core documents (wills, trusts, healthcare directives, and powers of attorney) to complex estate and gift plans for affluent and multigenerational families. Cheryl has represented fiduciaries in the administration of substantial estates, including the preparation of federal and state estate tax returns for estates with complex valuation and estate tax issues.
Cheryl also has extensive experience in representing elderly and disabled clients and their families in implementing plans to maximize the availability of benefits such as Medicaid for long term care while preserving family resources, in the preparation and filing of Medicaid applications, and has successfully appealed denied Medicaid applications on many occasions. Cheryl has represented disabled children in the educational setting and as Guardian ad Litem.
Education
Suffolk University Law School, J.D., cum laude, 2000
Boston University, B.A., 1995.
Community Involvement
Cheryl is a resident of Old Lyme, where she lives with her husband and three children. Cheryl recently returned to Connecticut, where she grew up. She previously served as a leader for Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee, where she received Volunteer of the Year and Outstanding Leader awards, and as a Guardian as Litem for CASA of New Hampshire. She has represented small non-profit organizations, such as local Friends of the Library organizations and Booster Clubs, pro bono.
Professional Memberships & Associations
- National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys
- Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates
- Connecticut Bar Association
- New Hampshire Bar Association
- Tennessee Bar Association
- Greater Old Saybrook Chamber of Commerce
Court Admissions
- Connecticut Superior Court
- Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
- New Hampshire Supreme Court
- Tennessee Supreme Court