Crystal West Edwards focuses her practice on elder law, special needs planning and advocacy, and estate planning.  She has given presentations on a variety of topics including fatal flaws in power of attorney and advanced directive drafting, elderly immigrants and language loss, handling government agencies and nursing homes when applying for government benefits, transferring excluded assets when applying for Medicaid benefits, the fundamentals of Medicaid and Medicare, and estate planning for young adults.

Her professional affiliations include her membership in the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA)’s Diversity Committee and the New Jersey State Bar Association’s Elder and Disability Law Section.  She also serves as Secretary of the Garden State Bar Association and is an adjunct faculty member at Kean University (Union, New Jersey).  Ms. Edwards was recently honored by the State of New Jersey with a Senate Resolution for "her meritorious history of professional leadership and exemplary dedication."

Prior to joining the Firm, Ms. Edwards was an associate with Fink Rosner Ershow-Levenberg, LLC (Clark, New Jersey), where she practiced in the areas of Medicaid applications and appeals, Veteran benefits appeals, guardianships, and estate litigation.   During law school, Ms. Edwards served as a Certified Legal Intern with the Pennsylvania Governor’s Office of General Counsel—Department of Public Welfare and the Elder Law and Consumer Protection Clinic at the Pennsylvania State University’s Dickinson School of Law.  While interning with the Department of Public Welfare, she assisted with combating Right-To-Know requests and Medicaid eligibility appeals.  While interning with the Elder Law and Consumer Protection Clinic, Ms. Edwards represented individuals during the Medicaid application process and helped to resolve nursing home disputes.

Areas of Concentration

Special needs planning and advocacy; planning for incapacity; contested and uncontested guardianships and conservatorships; Medicaid planning, applications, and appeals; Veteran benefits planning and appeals; representation of financial institutions, executors, trustees, guardians, and individuals; and will and trust reformations.

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