Who Is Scott C. Suzuki
Scott C. Suzuki graduated in the top tier of his class from the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaii in 2004. Simultaneously, Scott graduated with a 4.0 grade point average from the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii with a Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) degree in Gerontology. Scott has been in private practice since his graduation and currently is the principal of the estate planning firm of Scott C. Suzuki, Attorney-at-Law.
Scott continues to be active at the University of Hawaii through his services to the University of Hawaii Elder Law Program (UHELP), where Scott assists Professor James H. Pietsch with the Elder Law Clinic and with research about recent developments in elder law.
Scott is also an advocate for populations with special needs. Scott is the past President of the Special Needs Alliance (www.specialneedsalliance.com), a national, non-profit organization consisting of some of the most credentialed public benefits and disability law attorneys in the country, committed to helping individuals with disabilities, their families, and the professionals who represent them.
Scott’s legal practice is unique in that he provides specialized planning services for seniors, populations with special needs and the people in their lives. Through this practice, Scott has represented a wide variety of clients with a broad range of legal concerns. Most frequently, Scott assists people with estate planning, special needs trusts and planning, Long-Term Care/Medicaid and public benefit planning, guardianships, conservatorships, and probates.
Scott is frequent lecturer, locally and nationally, on the topics of elder law and special needs planning, and is the recipient of the Pro Bono Award from the Hawaii Access to Justice Commission, a Fellow in the Hawaii State Bar Association Leadership Institute, and a Rising Star from Super Lawyers.
In addition to being a Certified Special Olympics Coach for the past 16 years, Scott enjoys a number of community activities, including membership and affiliations in the following:
Hawaii State Bar Association
University of Hawaii Elder Law Program
Executive Office on Aging’s Alzheimers Disease and Related Dementia Task Force
Member by Invitation and past President of the Special Needs Alliance
Member and former Vice President for Family Voices
Aloha Independent Living of Hawaii Board
The Arc in Hawaii Board
Member of the Hawaii Estate Law Group
Hawaii FIDO Board Member
Phi Delta Phi Honorary Legal Fraternity
Phi Beta Kappa
What We Do
Our office is able to assists with a variety of legal needs from Estate Planning, Guardianship, and Probate to Conservatorship, Settlement Plannning and Special Needs Planning.
- Estate Planning is the process of planning ahead of time who you want to benefit from your estate and who will manage your estate in the event you become incapacitated or when you pass. Our goal is work with you to come up with a plan that is within our state laws, put in place people you trust and leave behind your assets to those who are deserving of your estate.
- Probate is a court proceeding to be able to distribute assets of a deceased person who did not designate beneficiaries. To avoid probate, one should consider creating an estate plan.
- Guardianship is the court process where an adult is deemed incapacitated. Obtaining Guardianship is important if the adult is not able to make sound decisions regarding their health and well being. We can help loved ones of these adults to continue to legally care for them.
- Conservatorship: Sometimes a minor or an incapacitated adult will come into money that they are not able to manage on their own. Conservatorship is a court proceeding to have an adult appointed who will be able to manage the funds for the benefit of the minor or incapacitated person.
- Special Needs Planning: Not all estate plans are created equal. Our office is one of very few offices in Hawaii that is knowledgeable in assisting families who have loved ones with disabilities.
- Settlement Planning: Unexpected things in life can happen. Unfortunately, sometimes these things involve being injured. If you are receiving a settlement, we can discuss with you what to do with those funds. We are happy to discuss options with you directly or with your personal injury attorney.