Michael Thomas Foster

Michael Thomas Foster

3.3
Rating: 6.3

Licensed for 50 years

Estate planning Lawyer at Greensburg, IN
Practice Areas: Estate Planning, Elder Law, Wills & Living Wills ... +2 more

103 E Main St, Greensburg, IN

This lawyer was disciplined by a state licensing authority in 2009
See Details

About Michael

Biography

Practice Areas

5

Practice Areas

Elder Law 20%

51 years

20%
Probate 5%

51 years

5%

Fees and Rates

Cost

Free Consultation

$0 first 120 minutes


Payment Methods

  • Cash
  • Check
  • Credit Card

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Licenses

Licensed in Indiana for 35 years

State: Indiana

Acquired: 1990

Active in Good Standing

Lawyer disciplined by state licensing authority in 2008

Licensed in Illinois for 41 years

State: Illinois

Acquired: 1985

Voluntarily Inactive

Lawyer disciplined by state licensing authority in 2009

Licensed in Iowa for 47 years

State: Iowa

Acquired: 1978

Exempt

Lawyer disciplined by state licensing authority in 2008

Licensed in Nebraska for 50 years

State: Nebraska

Acquired: 1975

Emeritus Inactive

Lawyer disciplined by state licensing authority in 2008

Location

Michael T. Foster Law Office

103 E Main St, Greensburg, IN, 47240-2301

Foster Estate Planning, LLC

103 E. Main St., Greensburg, IN, 47240

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Michael Thomas Foster's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

3.3 /5.0

7 Client Reviews

Filter Avvo Reviews (7) Refine reviews to match your needs. Use the filters to quickly surface reviews that align with your case or priorities.

Showing 1 - 3 of 3 reviews | Trustworthiness

Posted by anonymous | January 18, 2024 | Hired Attorney | Medicaid & Medicare

Stay away!

We hired him to help with a medicaid application. We paid him 5K up front to do this. They neglected to explain how a community spouse was going to live and I walked away. He never offered to refund any of my money. I consulted with another Attorney and they suggested that I sue him with a malpr...actice suit. All through the process they could never get along with the nursing. home or medicaid making it difficult on us. Never again! Also we paid him 10K for a will also.

Posted by Becky | July 02, 2018 | Hired Attorney | Trusts

Never Again

Never again will we use Mr. fosters services. He set up a Trust for us in 2012. We needed to make a change in the trust on May 5, 2018. We went for an appointment. He had left a 40@ tract out of the estate. He said he never makes mistake. After a heated conversation he admitted to making a mistake a...nd corrected it. He said he would take it and have it recorded. That was on a Friday. He said it would be ready by Wednesday of the next week. Wednesday I called and was told they hadn't heard back from recorders office. After another week and a have of me calling and Foster saying they hadn't heard from the courthouse, I went to recorders office to find out what the hold up was. The recorders office hadn't received the corrected estate papers. I went to Fosters office and the papers were laying on receptionist desk. I took them over to courthouse and tried to have them recorded. They were still not correct. The recorders office then sent them back to Foster to have them corrected. Fast forward to June 28. After having the abstract office go over corrected deed it is still not right. He has the wrong dates on them and add a Living estate sentence that was never in there before. Every office I have walked into trying to get this corrected the surveyor, auditor, recorder , lawyer, and abstract office said he intimidates them and makes constant mistakes. We are still trying to get this straightened out. My concern that the rest of the farms and holdings of this estate are not correct. So I am taking the trust he set up to another lawyer to have it corrected. He's a lawyer that needs to stop estate planning for people and retire from his job.

Posted by Linda | June 05, 2018 | Hired Attorney | Probate

Wouldn’t recommend for anything

He was hired to help with an estate involving 1 heir and spouse person died intestate and we did all the work he was always late for court totally disorganized and wasn’t ever prepared. We paid him up front because we weren’t told that he shouldn’t have been paid until the case was solved. We were t...old that our money was to be refunded (not seen at all not one dime) He has put us in a terrible bind because the judge ruled in the heirs favor so now we are being evicted at 70 years old having to find somewhere to move and no money to pay someone to help us so his word isn’t worth anything and I am very disappointed in his value as an attorney very poor handling of this case!!!!!!!!!

See All Client Reviews

Michael Thomas Foster's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Michael
Christopher Charles Thomas Stephen headshot
Christopher Stephen

Estate planning lawyer | Apr 12

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I endorse this lawyer. Michael is very well-versed in estate planning and I've referred several clients to him. He handles matters efficiently and his client interactions have been top notch. Happy to provide an endorsement."

View All Endorsements
William Joseph Dale Jr. headshot
William Dale

Estate planning lawyer

Christopher Charles Thomas Stephen headshot
Christopher Stephen

Litigation lawyer

Kenneth Richard Bass headshot
Kenneth Bass

Family lawyer

Experience

Rating:  6.3 (Good)

Professional misconduct

This lawyer was disciplined by a state licensing authority in 2009.

Reciprocal - Suspension issued in IL, 2009

updated on 02/23/2016

This means that the attorney's misconduct in another state, or jurisdiction, also violated the rules for practicing law in Illinois.

Reciprocal - Public Reprimand issued in NE, 2008

updated on 02/23/2016

This means that the attorney's misconduct in another state, or jurisdiction, also violated the rules for practicing law in Nebraska.

Michael’s comment:

“Please see comments in the Indiana section. Additional documentation can be produced upon client's request as these cited reprimands were due to personal and uncontrollable life circumstances.”

Reciprocal - Suspension issued in IA, 2008

updated on 01/11/2016

This means that the attorney's misconduct in another state, or jurisdiction, also violated the rules for practicing law in Iowa.

Michael’s comment:

“Please see comments in the Indiana section. Additional documentation can be produced upon client's request.”

Suspension issued in IN, 2008

updated on 01/07/2016

This means the attorney lost his or her license to practice law for a period of time. The attorney typically returns to practicing law when the suspension expires.

Michael’s comment:

“In 2003, I bounced a single $65 check on my business account [not escrow], and I did not discover such for 4 months, due to broken ribs in an auto accident. All of this discipline was the result of that single event. The Carroll County Prosecutor refused to settle and insisted on a trial in 2007 in order to bring about the discipline listed in 2008. For more information, including actual court pleadings, see entries at http://www.in.gov/judiciary/files/atty-disc-2008-98s00-0708-di-329.pdf .”

Reciprocal - Reprimand issued in IA, 1996

updated on 02/23/2016

This means that the attorney's misconduct in another state, or jurisdiction, also violated the rules for practicing law in Iowa.

Michael’s comment:

“Please see comments in the Indiana section. Additional documentation can be produced upon client's request.”

Reprimand issued in IL, 1996

updated on 03/15/2010

Reprimand means an attorney did something wrong but may still practice law. The State gives the lawyer a public reprimand in hopes that he or she will not repeat the behavior.

Honors

1977

Fellow, Life Management Association

1976

Diploma, Life and Health Claims Association

1974

Associate Editor, Nebraska Law Review

Work Experience

2009 - Present

Attorney, Foster Estate Planning LLC

2011 - 2013

Estate & Financial Planning Consultant, The Wellington Group

2010 - 2011

Field Representative, Guardian Life Insurance & Park Avenue Securities Corp.

Associations

1986 - Present

American College of Financial Services

Chartered Life Underwriter

1986 - Present

American College of Financial Services

Charted Financial Consultant

1978 - Present

Iowa State Bar Association

Member

1978 - Present

Iowa Association of Trial Lawyers

Member

1977 - Present

Life Office Management Association

Fellow, Life Management Institute

1975 - Present

American Bar Association

Member

1986 - 2000

College of Financial Planners

Certified Financial Planner

Sample of Legal Cases

Estate Planning Cases

See More Legal Cases

Education

1974

University of Nebraska College of Law

JD - Juris Doctor

1972

St John's University

BA - Bachelor of Arts

Speaking Engagements

Publications

1989

Dearborn Publishing Company Estate Planning

1986

Dearborn Financial Publishing Co. Estate Planning

Languages

English

Activity

Avvo Rating

Our Rating is calculated using information the lawyer has included on their profile in addition to the information we collect from state bar associations and other organizations that license legal professionals. Attorneys who claim their profiles and provide Avvo with more information tend to have a higher rating than those who do not.

What determines Avvo Rating?
  • Experience & background Years licensed, work experience, education
  • Legal community recognition Peer endorsements, associations, awards
  • Legal thought leadership Publications, speaking engagements
  • Discipline
    This lawyer was disciplined by a state licensing authority in 2009
    Disciplinary information may not be comprehensive, or updated. We recommend that you always check a lawyer's disciplinary status with their respective state bar association before hiring them.
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