Mr. Shafer is a senior attorney with Wheeler Upham, P.C, with extensive litigation, contract and real estate experience. He also anchors the firm’s elder law practice, guiding his clients through the many, varied legal issues surrounding aging and disability. Having struggled to navigate difficult disability benefits and end-of-life issues for his own family, Mr. Shafer decided to expand into helping other families in similar circumstances. With more than 25 years’ experience in related legal services, Mr. Shafer’s passion is to assist the disabled, the elderly, and their families through the complexities of health care and social security benefits and estate planning. He assists clients with their Medicaid, Medicare and disability benefits issues, adult guardianship, nursing home contracts, special needs trusts, and ABLE accounts. He also prepares wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and patient advocate designations, along with probate and trust administration. Finally, Mr. Shafer continues to devote a significant amount of his practice to business succession planning, general business matters, real estate, taxation, and non-profit management.

As an experienced elder law attorney, Mr. Shafer listens to his clients’ spoken and unspoken needs for dignity and compassion, helping them navigate an ever-changing set of regulations and legal standards. He helps families through the emotional process of obtaining a guardianship or conservatorship for a loved one.

When representing clients with any of their needs – whether elder law, business, real estate, contract, estate planning, or tax matters, Mr. Shafer provides balanced, thoughtful, and practical advice. He emphasizes collaboration with an eye toward furthering his clients’ overall goals and strategies.

Mr. Shafer and his wife, Leah, enjoy working on their “ranch” in northeast Grand Rapids, caring for their dogs, barn cats, and a whole lot of chickens. Mr. Shafer currently serves as the chair of the board of the Rockford Housing Commission.