Education
- Fitchburg State B.S., Cum Laude
- Pepperdine University School of Law, Juris Doctorate
- University of Florida, College of Law Graduate
- Tax Program, LLM Taxation
Experience
- Michelle joined the firm in 2003 and assumed ownership with her brother, Dan Surprenant, in 2010.
- Before joining the firm, she worked for six years as a senior tax manager for two different Big 4 accounting firms.
- Michelle also worked as a tax attorney lobbying business tax issues for the Connecticut Business and Industry Association.
Community Education & Support
- Lecturer on elder law issues, estate, trust and special needs planning
- Authors articles for Elder Law Today, Blog on MyFamilyEstatePlanning.com, Guide to Retirement & Beyond
- Co-publishes Guide to Retirement & Beyond (Annual)
- Co-authored Protect Your Family! Don’t Write a Blank Check to the Nursing Home, published by Advantage
Memberships / Recognition
- Member of National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Wealth Counsel, Massachusetts Forum of Estate Planning Attorneys
- Serves on the Advisory Board for Coastline Elderly Services, Inc.
- Previously serve on the Board of Directors for Coastline Elderly Services, Inc.
- Adjunct Professor at Suffolk Law School, 2018
- Recipient of the Community Nurse Women’s Star Power Award, 2019
- Named to Thompson Reuters / Boston Magazine’s Super Lawyer® list: 2012, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019
- Recognized on Top Women Lawyers list by Thomas Reuters / Boston Magazine: 2018, 2019
- Firm recognized with Hope Award from Southcoast Healthcare VNA, 2018
Testimonial
“We were terrifically impressed with Michelle Beneski for her knowledge, her sincere interest in our goals and the respect she showed us, even though we aren’t wealthy! We are grateful to Surprenant & Beneski for laying the groundwork with us for an estate plan and look forward to a long relationship with them.”
(M. MacInnis, 2/19)
Michelle is a compassionate professional who provides peace of mind to her clients. She is a Certified Elder Law Attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation which means she is uniquely qualified to serve the interests of older, maturing populations by having met comprehensive and strict requirements. Michelle is one of only 24 CELAs in the state of Massachusetts. To learn more about this special designation, please visit www.nelf.org. Michelle is also licensed in the state of Connecticut.
What do you do at the firm? Try to describe in 1 – 2 sentences.
I assist clients in achieving their goals. I lead the operations of the law firm.
How would you convey to a prospective client how you participate in the firm’s team approach?
I explain that we have a very experienced and knowledgeable team available to respond to their questions and requests. I explain that while I am often tied up in meetings our team approach allows us to respond to their needs quickly.
What are your personal values that drive you?
Kindness, empathy, and sincerity.
What are 3 positive words you think people might use to describe you?
Kind, Hardworking, Generous
Do you have a personal motto or favorite quote?
Treat others as you would want to be treated.
What do you want our clients to know about you?
I have four children, two puppies, and one husband, Joe married for 30 years. I find history fascinating. I have researched my family genealogy back 7 generations on both sides. I love old houses and old pictures.
Written by Attorney Erin L. Nunes, Esq., Partner Estate planning needs often arise around pivotal life moments. Marriage, the birth of a child, divorce and death of a loved one tend to bring about a need for making new plans or updating a plan that was previously in place. Here are the key elements to […]
Written by Attorney Daniel M. Surprenant, Esq., CELA Within the larger subject of estate planning is the concept of elder law. Essentially, elder law is estate planning that deals with issues more common amongst the senior population. Because they regularly address these issues, elder law attorneys are not only proficient with the challenges, characteristics, and […]
To qualify for Medicaid, applicants must pass fairly strict tests on the amount of assets they can keep. To understand how Medicaid works, we first need to review what are known as exempt (non-countable) and non-exempt (countable) assets. Exempt assets are those which Medicaid will not take into account when a person applies for Medicaid […]
