Teresa K. Bowman, Esq., owner and sole practitioner, received her Juris Doctor from Stetson College of Law in December 2006 with a concentration in elder law. She has practiced exclusively in that area since being admitted to the Florida Bar in April 2006. She continues to focus her work in the following areas of law:

• Preparation of wills and trusts
• Incapacity planning, including powers of attorney and advance directives
• Special needs planning
• Asset protection
• Assisting individuals in qualifying for long-term care assistance programs such as Medicaid and Veterans Benefits

Teresa is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, the Association of Florida Elder Law Attorneys, and the elder law section of the Florida Bar and an active member of the Florida Association of Women Lawyers. Teresa is a frequent speaker on issues affecting those dealing with illness or disability in Sarasota County and has spoken at statewide and national conferences as an advocate for seniors.

The National Elder Law Foundation (NELF) – the only organization approved by the American Bar Association to offer certification in the are of elder law, has announced that Teresa K. Bowman, Esq., of Sarasota has successfully completed its examination leading to such certification. Certification in elder law, one of the fastest growing fields in the legal profession, will provide a measure of security to the public that the attorney has an in-depth working knowledge of the legal issues that impact the elderly.

Experience and Background

Teresa grew up in a military family and spent her childhood living overseas and outside of the state of Florida. However, Florida is her home and her family has lived and worked in Florida for many generations. She is a true Floridian. She graduated from Florida State University with a degree in Elementary Education in 1987 and was a teacher in Georgia and Florida for 15 years. When the opportunity came to fulfill a lifelong dream of law school, she took it. She moved to St. Petersburg and attended Stetson College of Law where she was a teaching fellow, president of Equal Justice Works (an organization committed to providing equal access to legal services), a teaching assistance, and a member of the Stetson Client Board where she represented Stetson in several national competitions as a member of their advocacy team. Upon graduation, Teresa earned her certificate of concentration in elder law (one of two in her class) and was also chosen by the faculty to receive an award, The Order of Barristers, for her excellence in courtroom advocacy. Teresa also served as student editor of the Journal of International Aging Law and Policy.

“My goal in meeting with clients is to make them feel as if they are talking to a trusted friend. I want to understand their needs, help them understand how the law applies to meeting those needs and together find a plan that will accomplish their goals.”