Lesley M. Mehalick, J.D., LL.M.

Lesley M. Mehalick, J.D., LL.M. is a Shareholder of McAndrews Law Offices and the Supervising Partner for the Estate Planning and Estate Administration department. She concentrates her practice in the areas of estate planning, special needs and disability planning, guardianships, special needs trusts, estate administration, and elder law planning. Ms. Mehalick is experienced in preparing both straightforward and complex estate plans aimed at reducing estate and gift tax implications. She utilizes sophisticated techniques to best effectuate the transfer of wealth from one generation to another, with the objective of minimizing tax ramifications and achieving the clients’ goals.

Ms. Mehalick regularly assists families in navigating through special needs planning. These efforts include qualifying clients for public benefits, preparing special needs trusts, bringing guardianship proceedings, and crafting estate plans to maintain a disabled person’s eligibility for public benefits. She is privileged to counsel clients regarding elder law issues and ways to protect the assets and promote the dignity of loved ones who may require skilled nursing care. She regularly appears in Orphans’ Court and she is a frequent lecturer to both attorneys and families on these topics.

• Professional History

Prior to joining McAndrews Law Offices, Ms. Mehalick practiced in Northern Virginia with an emphasis in civil litigation, and she has litigated suits in both Virginia and Maryland. She was the judicial law clerk for the Honorable Stanley P. Klein, Judge of the Fairfax County Circuit Court. Ms. Mehalick is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University, where she majored in Political Science and Spanish and minored in International Studies. She received her J.D. from the George Washington University Law School, where she served as the Executive Articles Editor on the American Intellectual Property Law Association Journal, was a student attorney in the Domestic Violence Litigation Clinic, and interned for the U.S. Department of Education. Ms. Mehalick holds a Master of Laws in Taxation and a Certification in Estate Planning from the Villanova University School of Law, Graduate Tax Program.

• Professional Activities & Membership

Ms. Mehalick is a member of the Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Maryland State Bars. She is a member of the Philadelphia Estate Planning Council and an active volunteer for the Wills For Heroes program through the Pennsylvania Bar Association.

• Practice Areas

Estate Planning and Estate Administration

Special Needs Trusts & Planning

Elder Law

Tax Planning

• Testimonials

“I would like to express my appreciation to Dennis McAndrews and Lesley Mehalick for your efforts in helping me put together my Will and the Powers of Attorney involving my children.  This was not an easy task for me to undertake, and I am grateful for your help. I am ever thankful to have you on “my team.”

— J.G.

 

“Lesley, thank you for being so understanding towards me, and for all that you have done in helping set up my Special Needs Trust.  You have helped change my life for the better, and I will be forever grateful of that.”

— A.S.

 

“Lesley’s understanding of the requirements associated with a Special Needs Trust was very helpful, as was her willingness to incorporate all of my specific requirements in the Special Needs Trust.”

— K.H.