Meet The Brumbaugh Law Firm Team

Upon receiving a Mechanical Engineering degree, Michael went to Toledo University Law School where he graduated Magna Cum Laude and became a member of the Order of the Coif which is an honor society for law school graduates who graduate in the top10% of their class. He then worked as a staff attorney for a United States Federal Judge.

After opening his office, Michael discovered his passion was helping people with their estate planning. As time went on, he discovered that while helping people with traditional estate planning focused on what happens happens upon death was very important, it failed to address the problems that occur when a family faces long term care issues. As a result, Michael now also assists clients in developing plans that answer the following crucial question: What happens, if prior to passing, you need long term care that may last for months and even years? He is a member of Elder Counsel, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, the Ohio Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law attorneys where he served as the organization’s President from 2011 to 2013. He is a member of the Ohio State Bar Association and a graduate of the Veteran’s Benefit Institute and is an accredited attorney with the Veteran’s Administration.

Michael practices in the areas of estate planning and elder law, helping clients and their families to integrate their legal, financial, and personal care needs into a plan to enhance the quality of life for seniors, those with disabilities, and their families. He assists families to protect assets, coordinate care, and gain peace of mind.

He is a frequent speaker and presenter to seniors, caregivers, support groups, and the general public. He does monthly workshops to educate people on the pitfalls to avoid when planning and how to protect themselves and their families.

He is also an author and co-author of several books.

Co-author, “Don’t Go Broke in a Nursing Home!”
Co-author, “Tax-Free Money for Long-Term Care”
Co-Author, “You’re Not Alone: Living as an Alzheimer’s Caregiver”
Co-Author, “You’re Not Alone: Living with Alzheimer’s Disease”
Co-Author, “You’re Not Alone: Living with Dementia”

Pam is a licensed social worker and is a Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP) and a Certified Dementia Practitioner trainer. During her career, she has worked with countless families in various arenas. She has been using her compassion, knowledge and skills at Brumbaugh Law Firm since 2015. She understands that those who come to the firm may be overwhelmed caring for a loved one and she offers guidance and support.

Pam leads the long term care team and works closely with families dealing Alzheimer’s, dementia or other types of debilitating illnesses seeking long term care and Medicaid to provide a range of services, including: 1) short term counseling and guidance regarding long term care options; 2) assistance in applying for Medicaid including reviewing documents to determine if they will comply with Medicaid rules, assisting with strategy, and working with Medicaid caseworkers; and 3) care management and navigation services. Pam is knowledgeable of the community and can assist families as they navigate the myriad of community services.

Pam is an active member of the local Financial Abuse Task Forces and the Bridge Network (a group of long term care organizations ).

Previously, Pam served as: Executive Director of United Way of Erie County Victim Assistance Director for the Erie County Prosecutor’s Office to assist victims of crime navigating the criminal justice system; social worker for Safe Harbor Domestic Violence Shelter assisting victims of violence; and, social worker/discharge planner for Fisher Titus Hospital and Norwalk Memorial Home. Pam has a Bachelor of Science in Social Work from Bowling Green State University and a Masters in Nonprofit Management and Leadership from Cleveland State University. Pam is an active Rotarian with the Sandusky Rotary Club and is a Community Educator for the NW Ohio Alzheimer’s Association. She is a life-long resident of Sandusky. She and Michael have 2 daughters, Deidre Windau and Amanda Fitzthum. Amanda also works at the Firm.

Amanda joined the firm in 2019 as a Client Services Coordinator and in 2021 was promoted to the position of Operations Manager. Her focus is on the operations side of the firm. She loves to think about process and procedure, ultimately ensuring a positive client experience. Amanda brings to the Firm her innate ability for project management, administration and client engagement… all along with a love of interaction with people.

Amanda is the daughter of Michael and Pam. She returned to the area from Raleigh, North Carolina to work at the Firm. She is married to Josh and has two fur babies.

Kris joined Brumbaugh Law Firm in 2015 as a Legal Assistant. Because of her dedication, hard work and passion for what she does, she was promoted to Senior Paralegal in 2022. As Senior Paralegal, Kris works on with estate planning and Estate Administration (includes Trust administration and Probate) cases. She helps Michael prepare clients’ estates with the best protection possible. Kris has compassion with clients are navigating paperwork and the legal requirements of Estate Administration.

Sheryl has a Bachelor’s Degree of Arts in Political Science. She is a dedicated professional with an extensive background in a variety of office administration duties as She worked for over 10 years as Administrative Officer and Secretary in five star resorts in Dubai, UAE. She moved back to the Philippines in 2019 and then worked as an Executive Legal Assistant with Legalist, Inc in San Francisco, California before joining Brumbaugh Law Firm in January 2022.

She loves going to the gym and hiking but a day with her dogs on the beach is happiness for me.

Seth has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and completed his internship at a PR and events management company wherein he worked with different brands including MAC Cosmetics and UBER. Seth started his legal career in 2018 as a legal assistant in a personal injury law firm practicing in the State of Texas and Georgia. He has over 4 years of combined experience in both litigation and pre-litigation. He joined Brumbaugh Law Firm in May 2022 and works closely with the estate planning team by drafting the various estate planning documents.

In his free time, he enjoys hanging out in the coffee shop, food trips, watching tv series and walking around the city.

Candece graduated with a bachelor's degree in business major in Financial Management at La Salle University. Her career started working as a Fraud Analyst in bank for four years before getting hired by Brumbaugh Law Firm as Junior Paralegal in June 2022.

Candece spends most of her time reading business and investments books and enjoys binge-watching legal movies series. She has dog named Alexander from the Broadway American Musical ``Hamilton``, an indication that she is a huge fan of the Theater.

Jody Patynko comes to the Brumbaugh Law Firm with over 10 years of experience as a LicensedNursing Home Administrator. She graduated from Bowling Green State University with a bachelor’sdegree in Gerontology-Long Term Care Administration. She also has an associate’s degree from TerraState Community College with a focus as a social work assistant. She has spent over 20 years as anAdvocate for people, include crime victims, women, children and the elderly population. Jody is aCertified Dementia Practitioner who is passionate about helping seniors and families and offeringcommunity resources.