Michael A. Otte, J.D.

Attorney at Law

 

About Michael A. Otte

Michael A. Otte concentrates his practice on will, trust, and power of attorney drafting, probate, and trust administration, and contested probate and trust administration.  Additionally, Michael works on a variety of elder law matters, including Medicaid planning, Medicaid appeals, adult guardianship, contested guardianship, nursing home contract review, and general elder law matters requiring litigation or other court involvement. Michael has given dozens of both public and private seminars on his areas of experience in order to educate the public and fellow attorneys on important estate planning and elder law concepts. Michael is a member of the Chicago Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association, and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys.

Professional Experience

After earning his BA in Economics at the University of Iowa, Michael spent one year in Austin, TX as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer and later earned a teaching certificate and taught history in Austin for two years. Upon his arrival In Chicago and prior to earning his J.D in 2009, Michael worked for Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago in the city of Chicago, where he taught classes on mortgages, credit, and lending and worked under contract with AARP to counsel seniors on elder financial matters, with a specific emphasis on reverse mortgage counseling.

Education

Michael received his B.A. in Economics at the University of Iowa, spending one year in their overseas program at Goethe Universitat in Frankfurt, Germany. He received his law degree from Loyola University Chicago School of Law, serving as associate editor on the Consumer Law Review.

Personal

Born and raised in Decorah, IA, Michael now lives in Skokie, IL with his wife Nia, eleven-year-old son Andrew, and eight-year-old twin daughters Helen and Georgia Lee. He enjoys reading, running, following Minnesota professional sports, and trout and bass fishing. In addition, Michael serves on various Committees at his local church in Evanston, IL, serves as a judge for High School Moot Court competitions, helps organize the annual Block Party in the neighborhood where he lives in Skokie, and just recently started back attempting to play piano after a 40-year hiatus.