About Travis I.
Travis I. Dafoe built a career that moves between classrooms and courtrooms. He studied history and education at Western Michigan University, earning a B.A. in 2002. He returned to Western Michigan for law school and received his J.D. from Cooley Law School in 2009.
His early legal years were hands-on. In 2008 he worked as a summer associate. In 2009 he served as an extern and legal clerk, and then took positions as a law clerk and associate at Mahlberg, Brandt, Gilbert, Thompson & Wimsatt. By 2010 he was practicing at Gafkay & Dafoe, PLC. Those years gave him courtroom exposure and client-side work across Michigan federal and state forums.
Dafoe has maintained ties to education alongside his legal practice. In 2010 he was an adjunct political science professor at Delta College. Before law school he taught in the River Valley School District in 2003. He also served on local boards, including six years on the Frankenmuth School District board from 2016 to 2022, and took part in community groups such as Frankenmuth Rotary and the Frankenmuth Historical Association.
In 2015 he formed Dafoe Law, PLLC. Around the same time he joined national and regional professional groups relevant to elder law and estate planning. He has been a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys since 2015, and belongs to WealthCounsel and the Life Care Planning Law Office Association since 2016. He is certified in elder law by the Michigan Institute of Continuing Legal Education and holds admissions to the Michigan bar, the U.S. District Courts for both the Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
His practice blends transactional work and litigation-ready preparation. He handles elder law, estate planning and probate matters, and advises clients on capacity and long-term care planning. Clients see him for document drafting, guardianship planning and estate administration, as well as representation when disputes arise. He currently practices at Dafoe Law, PLLC, where he concentrates on elder law, estate planning and related probate matters.
