September 1, 2022 marked Takacs McGinnis Elder Care Law’s 30th year of service to older adults and their families.
The firm known today as Takacs McGinnis Elder Care Law was launched as Family Law Practice of Timothy L. Takacs on September 1, 1992 in rented office space at 130 Walton Ferry Road. After attending a National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys program in the spring of 1993, Tim Takacs made the decision to refocus his practice on elder law. In 1995, he purchased a building at 201 Walton Ferry Road and moved the firm there. Tim’s interest in elder law was further fueled by a chance encounter with a client whose wife had just been admitted to a nursing home. Though Tim wasn’t sure how to help this man, he promised to find out.
As his caseload grew, Tim began exploring enhancements to the traditional asset-focused practice of elder law and, in 1998, hired the firm’s first elder care coordinator. Later that year, after his book Elder Law Practice in Tennessee was published, and after the Tennessee Supreme Court allowed Tennessee to certify legal specialty areas, he became one of the first attorneys in Tennessee to receive certification as an elder law attorney. Takacs renamed the firm Elder Law Practice of Timothy L. Takacs and stopped accepting non-elder law cases. By the early 2000’s, Takacs had documented his groundbreaking approach to elder law and began teaching other attorneys how to implement the Life Care Planning practice model in their own firms.
In 2011, Barbara Boone McGinnis, a geriatric nurse practitioner with extensive experience as an executive in long-term care facilities, joined the firm as an associate attorney. She became a partner in 2016, and the firm rebranded as Takacs McGinnis Elder Care Law the following year. In 2018, Chris Johnson, a retired Marine Corps veteran with nearly 20 years of legal and military experience, joined the firm as an associate attorney. He became partner in 2019.
Later that year, after 28 years in their Walton Ferry location, the firm moved to a spacious new home on Wyncrest Way in Hendersonville. “When Tim and I had this dream, our vision was to invest in a building to better serve our clients,” attorney and partner Barbara McGinnis said at the ribbon cutting ceremony. “We are excited to expand our footprint in Middle Tennessee, and having a larger space allows us to host more community and professional education programs, and other special events.”
Since its last milestone anniversary in 2017, the firm has continued to grow, adding more staff to manage the increasing demand for services, and creating more free resources to enhance community awareness about elder care-related topics. In addition to blog articles, hundreds of educational videos, and an extensive resource library, the firm hosts Aging Starts Now, a weekly podcast launched in 2020, along with monthly webinars on topics of interest to older adults and their families. In 2022, Takacs McGinnis Elder Care Law expanded their ability to support Veterans across the country by acquiring the Center for Elder Veterans Rights, a Nashville-based organization that helps elderly and disabled veterans access VA benefits. “Bringing the Center for Elder Veterans Rights under the supervision of Takacs McGinnis Elder Care Law seemed like a perfect fit,” said attorney and partner Chris Johnson. "The Center for Elder Veterans Rights and Takacs McGinnis Elder Care Law believe strongly in supporting elderly veterans and their families, especially those who are struggling to manage health care costs."
2022 also marked the launch of a new book by Barbara McGinnis, Tim Takacs, Elder Care Coordinator Debra King, and members of Rothkoff Law Group in the Philadelphia area. Titled A Life Care Plan: Helping You Navigate the Aging Journey (Advantage Media Group, 2022), the book explains how integrated elder law services transform the experience of aging for older Americans, and the family members who love and care for them.
During the last three decades, the team at Takacs McGinnis Elder Care Law has worked diligently to make life better for the thousands of clients who have sought their aid. The firm’s innovations have comforted many families, inspired hundreds of attorneys nationwide, and transformed the practice of elder law in the United States. Today, Takacs McGinnis Elder Care Law includes a staff of three attorneys, two elder care coordinators, two public benefits specialists, and many other professionals who work together to serve clients throughout Tennessee.
“It is a dream come true to see the practice that I began in the early 1990s grow to what it has become today,” added Tim Takacs. “At the end of the day, we help people take care of their moms and dads. There is nothing more rewarding than that.”
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