Background

Elizabeth was born and raised in Metropolis, Illinois, and currently resides in Murray, Kentucky.  She joined Whitlow, Roberts, Houston & Straub, PLLC as an Associate in August of 2007, soon after graduating from Southern Illinois University School of Law in May of 2007.  Ms. Wieneke became a Member/Partner with the firm in January 2015.

Experience

Ms. Wieneke worked for a local law firm while an undergraduate at Murray State University and during law school. She gained additional practical experience during her studies at Southern Illinois University School of Law through serving as a research assistant to two professors, interning with the Massac County State’s Attorney, working at the SIU Elder Clinic and as a member of the Southern Illinois University Law Journal.

During her years of practice at the firm, Ms. Wieneke has focused on real estate and property law; estate planning; probate and estate administration; elder law and business and corporate law. Please allow the following paragraphs to summarize the type of work Ms. Wieneke assists her clients with on a regular basis.

Ms. Wieneke’s real estate and property law practice focuses on performing title exams for residential, commercial, agricultural properties and mineral acquisitions, which may also lead to providing assistance with resolving title issues. She facilitates real estate closings for cash and lender-financed sales. Additionally, she assists clients with a variety of property law issues and drafts documents effecting the transfer and ownership of real estate such a deeds, mortgages, real estate purchase and sale agreements, residential, commercial and agricultural lease agreements, boundary line agreements and easement agreements.

She advises both personal representatives and beneficiaries throughout the estate and trust administration process and draft documents related thereto. Ms. Wienke advises clients regarding estate planning and drafts related documents including wills, powers of attorney, living will directives, testamentary trusts, revocable trusts, irrevocable trusts and special needs trusts. She has drafted and reviewed prenuptial agreements. Ms. Wienke also advises clients and their families regarding a variety of elder law issues, including pre-planning and estate planning for clients looking toward their potential long-term care needs. Her elder law practice may include advising regarding the guardianship process.

As a function of both estate planning and business planning, Ms. Wieneke advises clients and drafts documents for business succession planning for family farms and a variety of other businesses, including asset transfers to trusts, stock restriction and buy-sell agreements, share transfer agreements, promissory notes and trust agreements. She also advises clients and drafts documents and contracts related to business formation and business management and aids clients to ensure their corporate documents are reflective of their estate planning wishes. For example, she has drafted business-operating agreements, reviewed employment agreements, drafted independent contractor agreements and defended EEOC claims.

Ms. Wieneke has various litigation experience in matters related to her practice areas including foreclosure actions, quiet title actions, petitions for declaratory judgment, petitions for trust ramification and interpretation, minors’ settlements, petitions to approve sale of real estate, eviction actions and collection actions.

Licenses and Associations

• Kentucky Bar Association, Member, 2007-2023
  – Elder Law Section, Member, 2007-2023
  – Probate and Trust Law Section, Member, 2007-2023
  – Real Property Law Section, Member, 2007-2023
  – Young Lawyers Division, Member, 2007-2017
  – Young Lawyers Division Executive Committee, Member, 2009-2013

• Illinois Bar Association, Member, 2008-2023

• Kentucky Bar Foundation, Participant in Lawyer’s CARE Program, 2010-2020
  – Lawyer’s CARE Program, Instructor, 2010-2020
  – Lawyer’s CARE Program, Coordinator, 2010-2018

The Lawyer’s CARE (Credit Abuse Resistance Education) Program is a volunteer service project delivered to high school seniors by attorneys and judges. It consists of a 50-minute classroom presentation on credit education and is funded by the Kentucky Bar Foundation with the support of local law firms.

• Young Lawyer Service to Community Award, Award Recipient, 2016

The Young Lawyer Service to Community Award is presented to a member of the Kentucky Bar Association Young Lawyers Division for exemplary service to his or her community through volunteerism, service to non-profit organizations, and/or pro bono legal representation.

• Leadership Paducah Class #24, Member, 2010-2011

Leadership Paducah is a leadership development program coordinated by the Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce located in Paducah, KY. Established in 1984, the participants selected for 2022-23 will be Class #36. The program is directed towards individuals who demonstrate leadership qualities and it is an educational opportunity that allows participants to gain increased understanding of community dynamics and public issues. From applications submitted, approximately 30-35 individuals are chosen each year to participate.

Education

• Murray State University, B.A. 2004, summa cum laude
  – Psi Chi, the National Psychology Honor Society, Member
  – Outstanding Pre-Law Student Nominee, 2004
• Southern Illinois University, J.D. 2007,  cum laude
  – Highest grade honors, Property I and Lawyering Skills II
  – Articles Editor, SIU Law Journal

Publications and Presentations

Written Publications:

• Estate Planning Issues for Farm Clients, Chapter 7, Other Information Useful to Farm Transfers,
  University of Kentucky, Office of Continuing Legal Education, 2023
• Kentucky Estate Planning Handbook, 5th Edition, Chapter 15, Miscellaneous Provisions in Wills and Trusts,
  University of Kentucky, Office of Continuing Legal Education, February 26, 2023
• Estate Planning Issues for Farm Clients, Chapter 6, Farm Transfer Tools,
  University of Kentucky, Office of Continuing Legal Education, September 29, 2022
• Estate Planning Issues for Farm Clients, Chapter 5, Managing Risks that Interfere With Client’s Goals,
  University of Kentucky, Office of Continuing Legal Education, November 22, 2021
• Estate Planning Issues for Farm Clients, Chapter 4, Farm Agreements: Lease Agreements and Others,
  University of Kentucky, Office of Continuing Legal Education, June 2, 2021
• Estate Planning Issues for Farm Clients, Chapter 3, How Farm Client’s Title Their Assets and Operate Their Farms,
  University of Kentucky, Office of Continuing Legal Education, November 30, 2020
• Estate Planning Issues for Farm Clients, Chapter 2, Evaluating the Client’s Resources,
  University of Kentucky, Office of Continuing Legal Education, September 21, 2020
• Estate Planning Issues for Farm Clients, Chapter 1, Initial Steps When Your Client is a Farm Client,
  University of Kentucky, Office of Continuing Legal Education, September 1, 2020
• Property and Custom:  Allocating Spaces in Public Places, 79 Temple L. Rev. 199 (2006).
  Research assistant for case note.
• Secured or Unsecured? Analysis of United States v. Crestmark Bank, 412 F. 3d 653 (6th Cir. 2005), 31 SIU L. J. 707 (Spring 2007).
  Author of case note.

Presented Programs and Courses:

• Estate Inventory and Final Accounting, National Business Institute, Kentucky Webinar, September 2, 2021
• The Probate Process from Start to Finish, National Business Institute, Kentucky Webinar, April 27, 2021
• Estate Planning Issues for Farm Clients, 46th Annual University of Kentucky/CLE Midwest Midsouth Estate Planning Institute, Lexington, KY, July 26, 2019
• Estate Planning: Top 7 Tools to Know, National Business Institute, Paducah, KY, June 27, 2018
• Step-by-Step Guide to Drafting Wills and Trusts, National Business Institute, Paducah, KY, June 6, 2017
• Step-by-Step Guide to Drafting Wills and Trusts, National Business Institute, Bowling Green, KY, June 8, 2017
• Estate Planning: Portability, Basis, Income and Capital Gains Tax and More, National Business Institute, Louisville, KY, September 26, 2016
• Estate Administration from Start to Finish, National Business Institute, Paducah, KY, June 29, 2016
• Estate Administration from Start to Finish, National Business Institute, Louisville, KY, May 10, 2016
• The Farm Journal Legacy Project, Developed by Farm Journal and Supported by DuPont Pioneer, Paducah, KY, July 22, 2015
• The Probate Process from Start to Finish, National Business Institute, Paducah, KY June 25, 2015
• Western Kentucky Paralegals Association, Paducah, KY, Estate Planning for Farmers and Ranchers, National Business Institute, Lexington, KY, November 10, 2014
• Estate Planning for Farmers and Ranchers, National Business Institute, Louisville, KY, December 10, 2013

Attended Continuing Education

• University of Kentucky/CLE Real Estate Law and Practice Institute, University of Kentucky College of Law, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2015, 2017
• University of Kentucky/CLE Midwest Midsouth Estate Planning Institute, University of Kentucky College of Law, 2008 – 2023
  Estate Planning in Depth, University of Wisconsin College of Law, 2010 and 2011

Community Service

• National Business Institute, Author and Faculty Member, 2013-2023

Ms. Wieneke has served as author and faculty member for National Business Institute (NBI) from 2013 through 2023, for continuing legal education courses held in person throughout Western Kentucky and Kentucky state-wide webinars. NBI courses are written and taught by practicing attorneys, professors and judges across the country.

• Purchase Area Mental Health and Aging Coalition (PAHMAC), 2016-2023
  – PAHMAC Conference, Paducah, KY, Table Presenter, 2016-2023
  – PAHMAC Conference, Paducah, KY, Author and Speaker, 2019
  – PAHMAC Board, Board Member, Vice President, 2016-2021

The Kentucky Mental Health and Aging Coalition (KMHAC) was formed in 1999 to support the development of mental health services for the aging population. PAHMAC is a non-profit organization promoting the same mission as KMHAC and serves the Kentucky counties of Ballard, Calloway, Carlisle, Fulton, Graves, Hickman, Marshall, and McCracken. PAHMAC meets bi-monthly. PAHMAC hosts an annual conference in Paducah, KY to be attended by the public where table presenters educate attendees on their area of expertise and attendees listen to speaker presentations on topics of interest. Wieneke is a table presenter at the event each year and spoke on the importance of estate planning at the 2019 conference.

• Embracing the Aged Foundation, Inc., Attorney for the Board of Directors, 2022-2023

Embracing the Aged Foundation, Inc., a Kentucky non-profit corporation, was formed on September 9, 2022. The foundation’s mission statement as published in its Bylaws is: “To educate and prepare our community for the aging process by conducting community outreach programs with educational events; To improve the stigma of aging in our community; and To support older adults, including older adults with disabilities such as mental, cognitive, or physical limitations, without the options for support or resources.” The foundation serves those in McCracken County, KY and surrounding counties. The foundation publishes a quarterly magazine with resource information to distribute in its service area.

• West Kentucky Community and Technical College (WKCTC), Adult Education Program, Author and Faculty Member, 2011-2019
  – Estate Planning and Elder Law Seminar Class, Author and Presenter, 2011-2019
  – “Seniors Learning for Fun” Program, Author and Presenter, 2017-2019

WKCTC is a public community college located in Paducah, KY. Ms. Wieneke served as program author and faculty member at West Kentucky Community and Technical College from 2011 to 2019 teaching adult education classes each semester. The program was discontinued due to COVID-19.

• Western Kentucky Alzheimer’s Support Group, Presenter, 2010-2019

The Alzheimer’s Association hosts a monthly support group for family members and caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer’s or another dementia related disease. The support group met in Mayfield, KY during this time period.

• Family Service Society, Board Member, Secretary, 2013-2016

Family Service Society is located in Paducah, KY and provides assistance to residents of Paducah/McCracken County, KY in need by assisting with basic needs such as food, clothing, prescription medications, emergency dental, utility assistance, personal hygiene items, household goods and holiday food/toy assistance.

• Merryman House Domestic Crisis Center, Board Member, Secretary, Vice Chair and Chair-Elect, 2008-2013

The main campus of the Merryman House Domestic Crisis Center is located in Paducah, KY.
It is committed to improving the lives of those affected by domestic violence. They are the only state-designated and certified domestic violence program in the Purchase Area Development District serving the Kentucky counties of Ballard, Calloway, Carlisle, Fulton, Graves, Hickman, Marshall, and McCracken. The organization’s campus includes a 36-bed emergency shelter, a central administration area, dining area, and outreach and counseling services buildings.

• Zonta International, Paducah Area Chapter, Member, Secretary, 2007-2013

Zonta stands for women’s rights. Zonta expands opportunities for women and girls through international education programs and service projects. The Paducah Area Chapter, located in Paducah, KY, chooses local service projects to support the Zonta mission that women’s rights are human rights.

• Paducah-McCracken County Senior Citizens Center, Board Member, President, 2007-2012

The mission of the Paducah-McCracken County Senior Citizen Center, located in Paducah, KY, is to provide services and opportunities for seniors which enhance personal well-being, promote friendship, and facilitate sustainable independence and dignity. The senior center offers daily meals,
activities and volunteer opportunities for members. Membership is free and open to all local seniors aged 60 and above.