Powerlist – Carol J. Wessels – Wessels & Liebau

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Carol J. Wessels said her estate planning practice grew naturally from her work in elder and special needs law, and seeing firsthand what can happen when people do not have an estate plan in place.

“I’ve handled guardianship cases, as well as probates when a person did not have adequate estate planning done and things don’t always go well,” said Wessels, founder of Wessels & Liebeau LLC in Mequon. “That is why I try to encourage my clients to have their estate planning done well and to get it done before there are concerns about capacity.”

Wessels enjoys working with individuals facing an early dementia diagnosis and helping them organize their plans.

“It’s such an overwhelming time and I want to help them get their legal matters in the best shape possible,” she said.

Wessels gained personal experience of what many of her clients go through while caring for her own mother, Velma, who had Alzheimer’s.

“After many years of working in elder law, being personally involved in the caregiving process gave me a much better understanding of what my clients go through,” she said.