After undergraduate school, Tara began working as an estate planning paralegal in Albany. She quickly realized that she enjoyed the connection with families that position provided her and wanted to develop further those skill sets. She graduated from Albany Law School in 2002 with honors in the estate planning concentration and was fortunate to begin her legal career already with six years of meaningful hands-on experience behind her.
“I began working with Ed in 2004, which offered me an introduction to special needs law. However, my passion for this area of the law was solidified when my son was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome (an autism spectrum disorder) several years ago.”
I feel very fortunate to have a practice that allows me to be a better mother to and advocate for my son. While no two family’s experiences will be identical, there are shared concerns. Understanding those concerns as a mother makes me a better lawyer.”
You may see her around town taking a local Pilates class with friends or running a 5K with her husband Andy. Tara and her family roam the Adirondacks every chance they get. They hike and ski and are hoping to have two “46ers” before her son and daughter graduate from high school. (For those unfamiliar, those are some pretty hard hikes up our highest mountains!)
“About three years ago a friend gave me a book that she authored about the history of the women’s movement in Saratoga, Warren, and Washington counties. Her insignia to me read: ‘Remember, you’re a mother, a daughter, a wife, a sister, and a friend—and at the end of the day what we all really have and can rely on are our family, our friends, and our faith.’
That has stayed with me and in someone else’s words, sums up entirely what's most important to me.”
Practice areas
Languages spoken
English
State | Status | Acquired | Updated |
---|---|---|---|
FL | Member in Good Standing | 2005 | 06/01/2022 |
NY | Currently registered | 2003 | 02/24/2022 |
MA | Active | 2002 | 05/30/2022 |
Legal answers | 0 |
Legal guides | 0 |
Award name | Grantor | Date Granted |
---|---|---|
Rising Stars | Upstate New York Super Lawyers | 2015 |
Rising Star | SuperLawyers | 2014 |
Rising Star | SuperLawyers | 2013 |
AV Peer Review Rating | Martindale-Hubbell | 2008 |
Title | Company name | Duration |
---|---|---|
Adjunct Professor | Albany Law School | 2013 - Present |
Owner/Attorney | Wilcenski & Pleat PLLC | 2011 - Present |
Attorney | Jones Wilcenski & Pleat PLLC | 2004 - 2010 |
Association name | Position name | Duration |
---|---|---|
New York State Bar Association, Elder Law Section | co Editor-in-Chief Publications Committee | 2015 - Present |
New York State Bar Association, Elder Law Section | Treasurer | 2015 - Present |
Wildwood Foundation | Board of Directors | 2015 - Present |
Academy of Special Needs Planners | Member | 2015 - Present |
The Wesley Foundation | Board of Directors | 2014 - Present |
AIM Services, Inc. | Board of Directors | 2014 - Present |
Warren County Bar Association | Member | 2013 - Present |
National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys | Member | 2011 - Present |
Special Needs Alliance | Associate Member | 2010 - Present |
Wellspring, Inc. | Board of Directors | 2009 - Present |
Saratoga County Bar Association | Member | 2004 - Present |
New York State Bar Association | Member | 2002 - Present |
Estate Planning Council of Eastern New York | President | 2013 - 2014 |
Publication name | Title | Date |
---|---|---|
Estate Planning magazine | State Court Case Puts Trustees on Notice | 2014 |
Estate Planning magazine | Dealing with Special Needs Trusts and Retirement Benefits | 2009 |
School name | Degree | Graduated |
---|---|---|
Albany Law School of Union University | JD - Juris Doctor | 2002 |
State University of New York, Albany | BA - Bachelor of Arts | 1997 |
Conference name | Title | Date |
---|---|---|
Elder Law Section CLE | Advising the Trustee of Supplemental Needs Trusts | 2015 |
Trusts and Estates Law Section CLE | Trusts that are Beneficiaries of Retirement Accounts | 2015 |
Guardianship CLE | Ethical Challenges in Guardianship | 2015 |
New York State Bar Association, Elder Law & Special Needs Law Section Fall Meeting | Retirement Benefits | 2014 |
Intermediate Elder Law - Albany, New York | Retirement Benefits | 2014 |
Recent Graduate CLE | Drafting Wills and Trusts | 2014 |
New York State Bar Association Elder Law and Special Needs Section Summer Meeting | The Medicaid Application Process | 2014 |
New York State Bar Association, Elder Law and Special Needs Section Fall Meeting | Medicaid and Elder Law Issues with Retirement Acccounts | 2014 |
Posted by Pete
January 12, 2015
M. Coreno, Elder law Attorney on Feb 5, 2015
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
Tara Pleat is, without question, the preeminent lawyer for elder law in our community. She is a tireless advocate for the most vulnerable, while providing the most forward thinking estate planning techniques available under the law today. Tara is an unparalleled attorney and person who receives the highest recommendation and esteem.