Howard S. Krooks, J.D., CELA

Email: HKrooks@ElderLawAssociates.com

Howard S. Krooks is a partner of Elder Law Associates PA and Of Counsel to Amoruso & Amoruso, LLP in Westchester County, New York. He is admitted to practice law in Florida and New York.

Mr. Krooks' professional practice is devoted to elder law and trusts and estates matters, including representing seniors and persons with special needs and their families in connection with asset preservation planning, supplemental needs trusts, Medicaid, planning for disability, guardianship, wills, trusts and advance directives.

As a member of the Joint Public Policy Task Force of The Florida Bar Elder Law Section and the Academy of Florida Elder Law Attorneys, Mr. Krooks works to protect the rights of the state's most vulnerable citizens. He was invited to join a special sub-task force to review policies of The Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) that may not be in compliance with federal law. The special task force will also determine whether DCF policies have followed proper rule-making procedures.

Mr. Krooks is certified as an Elder Law Attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation and is a member of the Council for Advanced Practitioners of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA). He is a member of the NAELA Board of Directors, where he serves as Secretary. He was honored with the designation of NAELA Fellow in 2009. He serves on the Executive Council of the Elder Law Section of The Florida Bar as the NAELA Liaison. He is a Past Chair of the Elder Law Section of the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA), where he continues to serve on the Executive Committee. He was chosen as a 2007, 2008 and 2009 Florida Super Lawyer, a 2008 Metro New York Super Lawyer, named to Florida Trend magazine's Florida Legal Elite in 2007, and has an AV® Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell.

Mr. Krooks received the 2006 Outstanding Achievement Award from the New York Chapter of NAELA for serving as Co-Chair of a Special Committee on Medicaid Legislation formed by the NYSBA Elder Law Section to oppose New York Governor George Pataki's budget bills containing numerous restrictive Medicaid eligibility provisions that, if enacted, would severely impact the frail elderly and disabled populations. He was also recognized for serving as Co- Chair of the NYSBA Elder Law Section Compact Working Group, which is receiving national attention for developing alternative methods of financing long-term care. Additionally, Mr. Krooks served as Chair of a Special Committee created by the NYSBA Elder Law Section to address the Statewide Commission on Fiduciary Appointments formed by Chief Justice Judith Kaye.

Mr. Krooks has written widely on elder law topics and co-authored a chapter of Guardianship Practice in New York State, published by the NYSBA. He was an Adjunct Assistant Professor at NYU's School of Continuing and Professional Studies and was an instructor for the N.Y. Certified Guardian & Court Evaluator program. As a frequent lecturer on a variety of elder law topics, Mr. Krooks has addressed many local, regional and national organizations. He has been quoted in Kiplinger?s Retirement Report, USA Today, The New York Post, The Journal News and the Boca Raton News. He has appeared on PBS, the CBS Early Morning Show and local cable television programs focusing on elder law.

Mr. Krooks is a Founding Principal of ElderCounsel LLC, the premier elder law and special needs planning document drafting solution for attorneys. He received his undergraduate degree summa cum laude from SUNY Albany, and his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

Mr. Krooks and his wife have four children and reside in Parkland, Florida.