Carol J. Wessels has been practicing elder law since 1992. Her areas of practice include guardianship and probate, advance directives and powers of attorney, psychiatric advance directives, and Medicaid planning. She represents victims of elder abuse in court cases to recover money or property that has been taken by a trusted person like a power of attorney agent or a trustee. She also handles contested litigation cases including defense of guardianships and other guardianship issues, conflicts with nursing homes or government agencies over a loved one’s care or treatment, appeals in Medicaid and Family Care cases, elder rights, probate, and other court cases. Attorney Wessels is also certified by the VA to provide assistance in Veterans Benefits claims. Her goal is to guide seniors and their families through difficult issues with confidence and effective advocacy.

Carol graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1988. Before going into private practice, she served as the Director of the SeniorLAW program at Legal Action of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, providing legal services to Milwaukee residents over 60, and supervising the benefit specialists in Southeastern Wisconsin. Carol also was a staff attorney at the Elder Law Center of the Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups.

Carol lectures frequently on elder and disability law issues to audiences of all types. She appeared on The Dr. Phil Show in 2005 as an expert on legal issues involving people with mental illness. (Click here for a link to the segment on this show.) Carol has authored or co-authored publications including The "Independent Living" Eviction in Subsidized Housing, National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys Quarterly Journal, Summer 2002; Treated with Respect: Enforcing Patient Autonomy by Defending Advance Directives , Spring 2005 Marquette Elder’s Advisor Journal; Senior Citizens and the Law, Center for Public Representation, Inc. (7th edition 1995); Advising Older Clients and Their Families, Housing and Medicaid Chapters, State Bar of Wisconsin (1997); Wisconsin Practice Series Methods of Practice, 4th ed., Guardianship Chapter update, West Publishing (2007).

Carol is a member of the Board of Directors of the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Elder Law Section, and the chairperson in 2008-09. She is also a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) and is on the Wisconsin NAELA Chapter Board of Directors. She also serves on the Board of Directors of Interfaith Caregivers – Ozaukee County. She was chosen by her peers as a Super Lawyer in 2006, 2007 and 2008.