Estate Planning & Elder Law Attorneys
Crenshaw Peterson & Associates is based on the belief that our customers' needs are of the utmost importance. Attorneys Tara Peterson and April Alleman are committed to meeting those needs. As a result, a high percentage of the business is from repeat customers and referrals.
We would welcome the opportunity to earn your trust and deliver you the most up to date services in the industry.
Attorney Tara Peterson
Attorney Tara Peterson focuses her practice on the areas of Estate Planning and Elder Law, including Personal Estate Planning, Business Planning and contracts, Medicaid Planning, and Probate Estate & Trust Administration and VA planning. She has been working on Estate Plans with clients for over 10 year now.
Mrs. Peterson is a member of the State Bar of Michigan; Great Lansing Estate Planning Council; Ingham County Bar Association, young lawyer section & probate section; American Bar Association and Institute for Continued Legal Education and the Christian Legal Society.
Ms. Peterson has two daughters and can often be found at some activity or another with them throughout the community.
Mrs. Peterson serves on the ICLE Estate Planning & Probate Advisory Board, and is a past president of the Greater Lansing Estate Planning Council Board and has been a member on the ICLE young lawyers board. She regularly lectures on topics on Estate Planning and Elder Law throughout the area.
Mrs. Peterson graduated Cum Laude from Western Michigan Cooley Law School in 2008. She earned her BA in History & Political Science from Hillsdale College in 2006.
Tara has received the Institute of Continuing Education(ICLE) Certificate of Completion in Estate Planning & Probate Law and Elder Law. and a completion in the Institute of Continuing Education (ICLE) Certificate of Elder Law.
In her free time, Tara volunteers in a children's program and is very active in her church and community.
Attorney Emily Nestor’s practice is focused on Estate Planning and Business Planning. Emily graduated Cum Laude from Western Michigan Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 2022. She graduated with a concentration in Business and Estate Planning for Small Business. She received her BBA in Sport, Event, and Promotion Management from Cleary University in 2018.
Emily and her Fiancé live in Charlotte, MI with their dog, Nash. Emily runs their woodworking business, Silver Nash Workshop, in her spare time. When she is not working, she enjoys going to concerts, traveling, off-roading, and spending time taking Nash to the lake. Emily is in the Probate and Estate Certificate program though ICLE and a contributor to their Young Lawyer program.
Associate Attorneys
Our associate attorneys are trained in Estate Planning and Elderlaw and have earned their Certifcates in Probate and Estate Planning through ICLE and are members of the state bar of Michigan.
Deanna Franco
Deanna is our paralegal and office administrator. She has been a paralegal for 23 years in the Estate planning area of law. She has been with Crenshaw Peterson & Associates for 15 of those years. She is a great asset to the firm and handles all of the office administration for the attorneys. She also serves as a Notary Public of the State of Michigan.
Melissa Sutphen
Melissa joined the office in the fall of 2022 and works up front assisting with Estate and Trust Administrations. She can assist with any of your Administration questions as you navigate following the wishes of your deceased loved ones.
Missy has two children and enjoys spending time with family and traveling up north.
Abby
Public Relations Expert
Ms. Peterson has a Cavalier King Charles spaniel that is trained to provide clients comfort during difficult discussions and can often be found in the office for your convenience. Abby loves getting treats and pets all day long. I'm a paragraph. Click once to begin entering your own content. You can change my font, size, line height, color and more by highlighting part of me and selecting the options from the toolbar.
Shannon Damesworth
Shannon is one of our office clerks. She works with our clients in trust administration as well handles all our billing for the office. She is also a Notary Public for the State of Michigan.
Karen Wright
Karen is the first person you see when you come in or call the office on the phone. She handles our front desk and intake area.
Karen has been with our office since December of 2022 and is a great addition to the office.
Be sure to say hi when you stop in to visit.
Karen has two children and is about to be a Grandma and can't wait to spoil that baby with cuddles and kisses!
Hans Peterson
Hans joined our office to assist with all our IT computer and media needs. He has been a great asset as we protect client information, keep our technology and devices up to date. He keeps the office in great working order as well as keeps our clients informed of updates with the office and updates in the law.
Jude Wells and Meeghan Peterson
Jude and Meeghan are both our part time office assistants and work on our file maintenance. They keep our office organized and our files protected for longevity. We are so grateful they have both joined our team.
Interns
We always have an intern or two floating around the office helping out where they can and learning what it takes to be an attorney. Feel free to ask them questions and engage them as this helps them to learn.
**Interns cannot give legal advice on their own. If they offer any advice please notify us immediately, and do not rely on their advice as formal legal advice or consultation.
Contact Information
Hours of Operation
Mon-Fri: 8-5pm
Address
2157 Commons Parkway
Okemos MI 48864
3105 Wildwood
Jackson, MI
Midland
Please get in touch!
Please contact us with any questions or concerns. Attorneys Louis Crenshaw or Tara Peterson will get back to you within 24 hours!