Managing Attorney
Adriane S. Grace
Estate Planning, Probate, Guardianship, Trust Administration & Special Needs Planning
As the firm’s Managing Attorney for over 10 years, Ms. Grace oversees the daily operations of the firm. She uses her extensive knowledge and 15 years’ experience in probate, guardianship, and estate administration to mentor the firms’ attorneys and support staff in the delivery of exceptional legal services to the firm’s clients.
Adriane Grace has represented clients in Estate Planning, Probate, Guardianship, and Social Security matters for the last 15 years of her legal practice. Not only has she has assisted many North Texas families with creating Wills, Trusts, and other estate planning documents, she has defended estate plans and Executors in probate court, as well as legal heirs and beneficiaries of an Estate. Certified by the Texas State Bar to practice as an Attorney Ad Litem in Texas courts, Ms. Grace has been regularly appointed by our North Texas statutory Probate Court Judges to assist in difficult and contested Guardianship proceedings and Heirship Determinations as an Attorney Ad Litem and Guardian Ad Litem for incapacitated and disabled individuals.
Due to her litigation experience, Ms. Grace is well-informed about Texas probate and estate administration laws and uses this extensive knowledge to confidently advise families about the Texas probate process, and choosing appropriate Executors, Guardians, and Trustees to serve under an estate plan.
She also maintains an active guardianship practice defending applicants for temporary and permanent guardianship of disabled adults and minor children. As part of her guardianship practice, she routinely advises and consults with families about alternatives to guardianship and available supports and services in our local community. This advice and counsel includes assisting families with implementing special needs planning tools to help them preserve and safeguard their loved one’s eligibility for Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income.
Ms. Grace thoroughly enjoys coaching her clients through challenging legal procedures and developing legal strategies that will empower them to navigate life’s most difficult circumstances.
Meetings with Ms. Grace are by appointment only, and must be scheduled directly with the firm’s intake specialist.
Expertise Highlights
Prior to starting her practice, Ms. Grace was an appellate attorney for the Social Security Administration. She is well-versed in the rules concerning eligibility for needs-based public assistance such as SSI and Medicaid and stands ready to advise and assist those who have questions about enrolling a family member. In addition, she devotes part of her legal practice to community service and education, often presenting on topics such as Guardianship and Public Benefits eligibility for local school districts. She is also a member of the board and advisory counsel of several non-profits.
Education
American University Washington College of Law, Juris Doctor, 2009
The University of Texas at Austin, Bachelor of Arts, 2001
Bar Admissions
Texas, 2011
Virginia, 2009
Associations
Dallas Bar Association
Collin County Bar Association
National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives
Dallas Area Social Security Claimants’ Attorneys
Texas Bar College
National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys
Certifications & Licenses
Certified to represent parties in Guardianship proceedings – State Bar of Texas
Volunteer Work & Board Membership
My Possibilities, Board Member
NAELA News, Editorial Board Member
Southwest Community Foundation, Member Professional Advisors Committee
Dallas Association of Young Lawyers Foundation
Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program
Legal Aid of Northwest Texas
Languages Spoken
English
Spanish
About Attorney Adriane Grace
Prior to starting her own practice, Adriane Grace practiced at litigation firms in Dallas, and was an Attorney-Advisor for the Social Security Administration in the Washington, DC area where she advised the Chief Administrative Appeals Judge. During law school, she interned at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the U.S. Copyright Office, and was an articles editor for the Administrative Law Review and Bloomberg BNA’s Patent, Trademark, & Copyright Journal. Before attending law school, Adriane worked in global supply chain management for an international aerospace company where she negotiated and managed a multi-million dollar technology acquisition services and support contract.
Adriane enjoys international travel and has studied abroad at the University of Salamanca in Spain, the University of Chile, and the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina. She was born and raised in Austin, Texas, but lived in Washington, DC for five years before finally settling with her family in North Texas. Her hobbies include reading, yoga, and spending time with her children.
