Paula K. Almgren

An elder law and estate and care planning attorney with two decades of experience, Ms. Almgren is the founder of Berkshire Law Group (formerly Almgren Law Group), one of only a few U.S. law practices taking a holistic team approach to helping seniors and their families plan for and navigate through complex legal, medical, financial and lifestyle-housing care decisions. Alongside attorneys and paralegals, its team includes a registered nurse/certified care coordinator, public benefits coordinator, and retired army veteran services officer. The firm is based in Lenox, Massachusetts, near Tanglewood in Berkshire County.

Ms. Almgren with her team provide a full range of elder law services from helping clients protect assets (like their homes) and triggering and obtaining approval for long-term care insurance benefits to fully accessing programs like Medicare, Medicaid and veterans’ benefits to supplement private resources.

Inspired by Ms. Almgren’s own experience caring for a chronically ill parent, the firm is also home to Life Care, an annual flat-fee program that takes the pressure off family members caring for elderly loved ones by coordinating all aspects of care – assessing living arrangements and care services to see what improvements can be made, addressing immediate and long-term needs, finding appropriate care – and resources to pay for it – and arranging for other providers when needed.

Ms. Almgren also provides comprehensive estate planning services for high net worth clients in the managing and transferring of property in the event of incapacity or death. This includes making recommendations to save estate taxes by using trusts that help avoid probate while keeping client’s assets and beneficiaries private.

Recognized as a state expert in leveraging community resources to help older people stay in their homes, Ms. Almgren has gained a reputation for her compassion and integrity as well as her commitment to those she serves. In 2020 she served as President of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), Massachusetts Chapter and has been a Board member since 2002. Her work alongside chapter peers on the MassNAELA Advocacy Committee has been instrumental in changing laws to benefit seniors, disabled and veterans throughout the Commonwealth. 

A life-long learner and mentor, she regularly contributes her insights and expertise to the state’s leading law forums and journals published by the Massachusetts Bar Association and Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education (MCLE). Ms. Almgren is the section editor for Aging in Place chapters for MCLE's publication "Estate Planning for the Aging and Incapacitated Client in Massachusetts" 2023.

Ms. Almgren serves on Fairview Hospital Ethics Committee, is past President of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), Massachusetts Chapter and the Pittsfield Council on Aging, and is a member of the Alzheimer’s Partnership, the Berkshire County Estate Planning Council, and the Massachusetts and Berkshire Bar Associations.

Known for her engaging style, she frequently addresses attorneys, financial professionals, hospital administrators, health care professionals, women, and senior and disabled individuals and families.

Ms. Almgren is a graduate of Williams College and Albany Law School of Union University.  She is also an accredited attorney with Veteran’s Administration.

She is rated 10.0 “Superb” through Avvo, the attorney consumer and peer-review rating website.