About Pratscher Law
Peggy Pratscher, at Pratscher Law LLC, has been providing legal services since 2003 in the practice area known as of Elder Law services, which was a relatively new area of legal practice at that time. At it’s inception, Elder Law, was initially intended to work primarily with the senior and disabled populations, however as this area has changed over time, it also included clients from all age groups based on need rather than primarily more narrowly focused on age. Today, “Elder Law” encompasses any age client who needs the special considerations that Federal and State healthcare and benefit regulations and programs require. Each firm may be a little different as far as services offered, but the services are generally multi-faceted requiring special considerations for issues that face each specific client who is receiving government benefits. Since pre-planning was a cornerstone of our Elder Law Medicaid Planning services, we added the special services of Estate Planning to make modifications to Wills, Trusts, Powers of Attorney, and adding the specialty area of Special and Supplemental Needs trusts to incorporate newly evolving Federal and State Regulations. In many circumstances, situations change rapidly and pre-planning is not possible leaving crisis planning as their only option. With this in mind, our transition to focusing on estate planning that can encompass later pre planning for Medicaid, my clients can be better prepared if and when medical and financial crises happen later. We no longer do the actual applications for Medicaid, however there are many practitioners who do that process and they are appreciative that their clients have the proper authorities and provisions in their estate plans to accommodate that situation when it arises.
All clients can expect to be treated with respect, concern, understanding and patience, regardless of age or disability status. In my office clients were greeted by the words of Winston Churchill which has long been my mantra in life: “We Make A Living By What We Get, But We Make A Life by What We Give.” In my practice, my clients get the added benefit of my 50+ years of professional nursing to help them navigate potential risks that should be considered for estate plans, life planning recommendations, and whatever changes are needed when life changes. We work with their health care providers, their financial planners and tax advisors, all as needed and requested to help focused pre-planning for their future estate needs. I am thankful for every opportunity to assist my clients to meet their individual needs at times when they are feeling overwhelmed and perhaps alone and unheard.
As a nurse, I have been very comfortable with meeting clients at their home or nursing facilities when they are not able to travel to see me in my office. This has been a part of my legal practice since the beginning and a service that many have truly appreciated over the years. It became a means of limiting risks during COVID lock downs to be able to have personalized teleconferences and my disabled and senior clients appreciated not having to travel to me during inclement weather and cold winters long before COVID changed our lives. Thus, my recent move out of state was very much facilitated by the availability of digital meetings and for many, actually have become a preferred method for conferences. I still travel back to Illinois whenever client needs dictate and I have also made arrangements for physical office meetings and conferences with my clients in Illinois when I am there or when that is preferred.
About Peggy Pratscher
PERSONAL: Married 46 years to high school sweetheart, who has been retired for over 10 years. We are the proud parents of our 1 son, an Air Force veteran, who served 6 years after 911, then married a beautiful wife who is nearing her completion of her 20 years in the Navy, and together they brought our 2 gorgeous granddaughters and lots of (big) dogs (currently 3 Great Danes) into our busy lives! Our small dogs are gone as is my favorite Doberman and 2 favorite Great Danes, but we get plenty of dog time at our son’s and we dog sit for friends here! We recently moved out of state to warmer weather in the Smokey Mountains and while I anticipated retirement before I moved, I found that I am still very happy to continue working remotely for clients who need me. I love the challenges and I love my job. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, golfing, oil painting, cooking/baking, exploring this beautiful area, star gazing from my hot tub able to see the milky way once again since there is no light pollution here, and entertaining visitors who venture down to see us. For those of you who have known me for many years and may be reading my updated information, I recently stopped riding my Harley, although I still have not parted with it and it still takes up space in my garage – right by my zippy golf cart, (which is the same color as my Harley)!
LEGAL EDUCATION: John Marshall Law School, Chicago, Illinois – 2002, graduated and admitted to the Illinois Bar and Federal Bar with special legal studies in Information Technology & Privacy Law and Elder Law. I initially practiced at a Plaintiff Personal Injury firm downtown Chicago, and in 2003 I found my practice “home” in Elder Law. I am still licensed only in Illinois, which is by choice. Certified Mediation and Arbitration Specialist
UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION: Elmhurst College -BS in Business Administration, Magna Cum Laude and spent 20+ years working in the Health Insurance industry and private consulting using my business and nursing background together. Registered Professional Nurse since 1975
PROFESSIONAL GROWTH AND OUTREACH: Over the years, I have taught numerous workshops and seminars throughout the continental US, coast to coast, during my nursing, insurance and legal careers. I maintain my Illinois Bar Association and DuPage Bar Association memberships, and have been active over the years in many diverse professional areas of Case Management Society of America, Chicago Claim Association, National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), the University of Illinois Continuing Education Program, Women’s legal organizations, Legal Ethics associations, an Arbitrator for the DuPage County Arbitration program, and numerous other personal and professional organizations providing years of services to my community through Rotary International and several years as a Parish Nurse at my church.
I spent my clinical years working with patients in post surgical and critical care at Rush Presbyterian St. Luke’s Medical Center in Chicago, always transitioning and moving to innovative ways to involve my clinical nursing and business background, moving in and out of direct hands-on clinical care in various settings (hospital, home care, hospice), administration in the Healthcare Insurance payor arena, assisting in the development of the first insurance based Case Management (CM) program in Illinois for Aetna Insurance and helped create their national CM program. I later got involved with with the newly emerging Utilization Review (UR) programs and became a consultant to audit efficacy of these programs for the insurance industry, insured and self-insured group health plans. Over the years, my clinical experiences encompassed every type of catastrophic illness and injury in almost every area of clinical practice which well prepared me for my career in Elder Law.
This Firm has encompassed a very diverse and ever-changing scope of services over the years, beginning with needed assistance to file complicated Medicaid Applications in the first 18 years of my Elder Law services, expanding as needed to meet client needs. Elder Law required extensive learning of Medicaid (State & Federal) and Medicare (Federal laws, Property laws and Residential Real Estate practice, establishing protective guardianships to shelter and protect clients from exploitation and abuse, creating specialty estate planning service, Probate work for after death management, and creation of Trusts with Trust Administration assistance. Each Elder Law Firm is a little different in the services they provide and how they provide those services, thus they are highly individualized practices. I am happy with my new direction for client services and am once again filling a welcome niche within the Elder law community for my clients.