About Patricia M
Patricia M Shumaker built a career that began in classrooms and ended in courtrooms and conference rooms where law meets personal planning. She earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and later received her law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law. Those credentials set the stage for a practice focused on the legal needs of older adults and families planning for the future.
She entered private practice after law school and over time developed expertise in estate planning, probate administration, and elder law. Colleagues describe her work as practical and methodical. She is known for taking complex financial and legal information and making it understandable for clients facing difficult decisions.
Shumaker has maintained active ties to professional organizations throughout her career. She is a current member of the Massachusetts Bar Association and belongs to the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys as well as its Massachusetts chapter. She also holds membership in the Boston Estate Planning Council and participates in the Trusts and Estates Consortium. These affiliations keep her connected to evolving rules and best practices in estate and elder law.
Her office is Protecting Your Wealth Law, PC, where she consults with individuals and families on wills, trusts, incapacity planning, and probate matters. She has worked with clients on durable powers of attorney, health care proxies, and long-term care planning. Her approach is steady and procedural; she guides clients through paperwork and deadlines and helps them weigh potential tax and administrative consequences.
Outside client work, Shumaker attends continuing legal education programs and contributes to panels hosted by local professional groups. She often participates in discussions about changes in state law that affect estate administration and elder services. That engagement reflects an interest in staying current rather than in public advocacy or high-profile litigation.
Her practice balances client counseling and document drafting with estate and trust administration. She handles routine probates and advises on strategies to minimize administrative burdens for survivors. The work is detail-oriented and often involves coordinating with financial advisors, health care providers, and family members to carry out clients' wishes.
She currently focuses her practice on estate planning, probate, and elder law.
