Practice Areas: Elder law, Estate planning & probate, Administrative law; view more
Licensed in Wisconsin since: 2011
Education: Marquette University Law School
Selected to Rising Stars: 2019 - 2022 Call today:
262-264-7702
Wessels & Liebau LLC
11649 N Port Washington RdSuite 210
Mequon, WI 53092 Visit website
Details
Jessica Liebau is an estate planning and elder law attorney in Mequon, Wisconsin. She is a partner at Wessels & Liebau LLC and handles matters involving elder law, estate planning, guardianships, special needs planning, fiduciary litigation, elder mediation, trust administration and probate. She serves clients in Sheboygan, Ozaukee, Milwaukee, Washington, and Waukesha metropolitan areas.
Atty. Liebau is a trained mediator in elder law and has years of experience litigating complex elder law and estate planning cases. This combination of experience allows her to provide the best possible legal service, using the approaches that best suit their needs and the demands of their legal issues.
Atty. Liebau sits on the board of the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Elder Law and Special Needs Section as well as the boards of Balance, Inc. and the Mequon Thiensville Chamber of Commerce. She belongs to the Wisconsin chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and is the editor of the Elder Law and Special Needs Journal of Wisconsin.
Volunteer work is particularly important to Atty. Liebau. She volunteers her time to local organizations and holds leadership positions including President of the Mequon-Thiensville Chamber of Commerce. She is also a member of the trust committee of Life Navigators, Inc. She also provides pro bono legal services through Legal Action of Wisconsin’s Volunteer Lawyers Project.
Atty. Liebau graduated summa cum laude from St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin, and earned her law degree from Marquette University Law School, where she graduated cum laude. She holds a license to practice law before all Wisconsin state courts.
Practice areas
Elder law, Estate planning & probate, Administrative law, Alternative dispute resolution, Estate & trust litigationFocus areas
Guardianships & conservatorships, Living wills, Power of attorney, Probate & estate administration, Trusts, Wills, Government benefits, Mediation, Will contests
- 40% Elder law
- 30% Estate planning & probate
- 10% Administrative law
- 10% Alternative dispute resolution
- 10% Estate & trust litigation
First Admitted: 2011, Wisconsin
Professional Webpage: http://www.wesselsliebau.com/about-attorney-jessica-liebau.h...
- Guardianship Litigation: Successfully petitioned for appointment of guardian when power of attorney was not serving the interests of the principal/client.
- Probate: Guide client through court process of opening probate, paying off creditors, completing court-mandated inventory and accounting, and transferring assets to beneficiaries.
- Estate Planning: Create customized estate plan for clients to help pass assets to beneficiaries at death, avoid probate, and reduce unnecessary expense and complication.
- Special Needs Trust: Help clients/parents set up special needs trust for child with a disability to help qualify for public benefits such as SSI (Supplemental Security Income) and Medicaid.
- Medicaid Appeals: Successfully obtained fair hearing decision to increase amount of money community spouse was allowed to retain while spouse receiving Medicaid benefits in skilled nursing home.
- Elder Abuse/Financial Exploitation: Petitioned for, and successfully obtained, a judgment against a guardian who inappropriately used guardianship funds, resulting in five-figure repayment of money to ward's estate.
- Member of Ozaukee County Interdisciplinary Team (I-Team) on Elders at Risk, 2018 - present
- Volunteer attorney with Ozaukee County Free Health Care Power of Attorney Clinic, 2017 - present
- Volunteer lawyer with Legal Action of Wisconsin Volunteer Lawyers Project, 2019- present
- Member, Board of Directors, Balance, Inc., 2020 - Present
- President, Mequon-Thiensville Chamber of Commerce, September 2020 - present
- Member, Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s Impact Movement (AIM), 2016 - present
- Volunteer, Alzheimer’s Association, 2016 - present
- Chairperson, Life Navigators, Inc., Friends Group, 2012 - 2018
- Member, Life Navigators, Inc. Trust Committee, 2016 - present
- Milwaukee Justice Center Pro Se Family Law Clinic, Marquette University Law School
- Marquette Volunteer Legal Clinic, Marquette University Law School
- Volunteer with Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program, Marquette University Law School
- Member, Pro Bono Society, Marquette University Law School
- State Bar of Wisconsin Elder Law and Special Needs Section Board of Directors, July 2017 – present. Editor, Elder Law and Special Needs Journal of Wisconsin.
- Member, National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (Wisconsin and National chapters), 2011 – present
- Member, Milwaukee Bar Association, 2011 – present
- Member, Ozaukee Bar Association, 2011 – present
- Member, State Bar of Wisconsin, 2011 – present
- Member, Association of Women Lawyers, 2011 – present
- St. Norbert College, Bachelor of Arts, Summa Cum Laude, Major in Political Science, Minor in Sociology. Honors: Chapter President of Pi Gamma Mu Social Science Honor Society, Recipient of Rev. Robert Cornell Award for Excellence in Political Science, 2007
- Certificate in Elder Mediation, Winnebago Conflict Resolution Center, 2014
- The prevalence of financial elder exploitation has resulted in a rush of legislation and policies aimed at “protecting elders.” Often this protection is at the expense of an elder’s right to autonomy and runs contrary to their estate planning. Attorneys can utilize the Uniform Power of Attorney Act, paired with appropriate drafting around certain default provisions, to help clients strike their desired balance between protection from financial exploitation and protection against unnecessary intrusion into their private affairs., Author, Drafting Under the UPOAA: Safeguarding Against Elder Financial Exploitation Without Compromising Autonomy, ACTEC Law Journal, 2020
- Jessica Liebau says challenges to caregiving – in all its variations – are made worse by, but are not new to, COVID-19. And they won't be fixed simply by returning to normal., Author, Beyond COVID 19: Not Everyone Wants a Return to Normal, Wisconsin Lawyer Magazine (State Bar of Wisconsin publication). December 2020, 2020
- Six attorneys describe their practices now—and what they might look like in the future. , Co-Author, Law Practice During and After COVID-19, American Bar Association GPSolo Magazine July/August 2020 Vol. 37, No.4, 2020
- Article provides definitions of elder abuse, scope of problem nationally and in Wisconsin, and provides practical tips and best practices for screening elder abuse within law office setting., Author, Screening for Elder Fraud and Abuse, Wisconsin Lawyer Magazine (State Bar of Wisconsin publication)., 2020
- Edited/updated Advising Older Clients: Chapter 1 for State Bar of Wisconsin Books Unbound publication., Editor, Advising Older Clients: Chapter 1, State Bar of Wisconsin, 2020
- Elder Law and Special Needs Journal of Wisconsin (formerly Elder Law Journal of Wisconsin), Spring 2016 – Present, Editor, Elder Law and Special Needs Journal of Wisconsin, State Bar of Wisconsin Elder Law and Special Needs Section, 2020
- Author, Combatting Elder Abuse in Ozaukee County, Ozaukee News Graphic (February 7, 2019), Author, Combating Elder Abuse in Ozaukee County, Ozaukee News Graphic, 2019
- Author, This is Why: Elder Abuse Awareness Day 2019, Ozaukee News Graphic (June 15, 2019), Author, This is Why: Elder Abuse Awareness Day, Ozaukee News Graphic, 2019
- Author, ABLE Account Update (The “Hidden Provisions” of the Tax Act), Elder Law Journal of Wisconsin, Vol. 28, Issue 1 (March 2018), Author, ABLE Account Update, Elder Law Journal of Wisconsin, 2018
- Author, Am I Working too Hard to be Ethical? Elder Law and Special Needs Journal of Wisconsin, Vol 28., Issue 3 (December 2018), Author, Am I Working Too Hard to be Ethical?, Elder Law and Special Needs Journal of Wisconsin, 2018
- Author, ‘She’s Not Her Own Person’ and other Peculiar Language, Elder Law Journal of Wisconsin, Vol. 28, Issue 2 (August 2018), Author, ‘She’s Not Her Own Person’ and other Peculiar Language, Elder Law Journal of Wisconsin, 2018
- Author, Be the Voice of Reason We All Need, Elder Law Journal of Wisconsin, Vol.27, Issue 1 (Winter 2017), Author, Be the Voice of Reason We All Need, Elder Law Journal of Wisconsin, 2017
- Co-Author, Annual Survey of Wisconsin Law: Elder Law, State Bar of Wisconsin, June 2015, February 2016, co-Author, Annual Survey of Wisconsin Law: Elder Law, State Bar of Wisconsin, 2016
- Author, Is Elder Law Really the “Hot” New Practice Area? Elder Law Journal of Wisconsin, Vol. 26. Issue 3 (Fall 2016), Author, Is Elder Law Really the "Hot" New Practice Area?, Elder Law Journal of Wisconsin, 2016
- Co-Author, Sprint Communications v. Jacobs: Recent Supreme Court Case Provides Additional Option for Medicaid Challenges, Elder Law Journal of Wisconsin, Vol. 24, Issue 1 (April 3, 2014), co-Author, Sprint Communications v. Jacobs: Recent Supreme Court Case Provides Additional Option for Medicaid Challenges, Elder Law Journal of Wisconsin, 2014
- Author, Hardship Waivers, Divestment Exceptions, and Credit Card Debt: Recent Fair Hearing Decisions Provide Guidance and Uncertainty, Elder Law Journal of Wisconsin, Vol. 24, Issue 3 (September 30, 2014), Author, Hardship Waivers, Divestment Exceptions, and Credit Card Debt: Recent Fair Hearing Decisions Provide Guidance and Uncertainty, Elder Law Journal of Wisconsin, 2014
Office location for Jessica Liebau
11649 N Port Washington Rd
Suite 210
Mequon, WI 53092
Phone: 262-264-7702
Selections
- Rising Stars: 2019 - 2022
