"I help clients navigate complex personal and financial decisions so their estate and care plans work as intended for the people who matter most."
Theresa Clarke focuses her practice on estate planning, elder law and Medicaid planning, special needs planning, and probate and trust administration, advising individuals and families on strategies to create estate and long-term care plans that work for them. Her goals are her clients’ goals, whether they entail creating an estate plan that builds a legacy, protects wealth, and provides for their individual and charitable beneficiaries, devising a care plan for loved ones with special needs, or understanding and pursuing eligibility for means-tested government benefits.
Theresa is a Certified Elder Law Attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation with experience in special needs planning, including private and pooled trusts and ABLE accounts; elder law and long-term care planning; probate; estate and trust administration; guardianships; and Medicaid Estate Recovery. She centers her work on building relationships, working closely with clients to develop thoughtful estate plans and long-term care strategies that ensure personal wishes are carried out with clarity and care.
Before entering private practice, Theresa worked in trust administration for a trust company in Houston, where she gained firsthand experience managing trusts and supporting fiduciaries. This background informs her practical approach to estate planning and administration.
Prior to her legal career, Theresa worked at The University of Texas at Austin, where she managed statewide education initiatives. She also previously worked with the National Governors Association and served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guinea, West Africa.
Thought Leadership
University of Texas Law 28th Annual Estate Planning, Guardianship, and Elder Law Conference Planning Committee, 2026
“Senior Spaces,” Monthly Contributing Columnist, Houston Chronicle, January 2021-March 2026
“Elder Law,” City of West University Place Community Services, Houston, Texas, January 2026
“Elder Law: Levels of Care and Housing,” Steve Radack Community Center, Houston, Texas, January 2026
“Special Needs Trusts Overview,” Co-Author, University of Texas 21st Annual Changes and Trends in Special Needs Trusts, February 2025
“Elder Law,” Thomas A. Glazier Senior Education Center, Houston, Texas, August 2024
“Medicaid Planning in Guardianships,” Co-Author, Speaker, University of Texas 26th Annual Estate Planning, Guardianship and Elder Law Conference, San Antonio, Texas, August 2024
“Elder Law,” Tracey Gee Community Center, Houston, Texas, November 2023
“Strategies for Emergency or End of Life Planning,” Co-Author, Speaker, Handling Your First (Or Next) End of Life Planning Case CLE, State Bar of Texas, September 20, 2023
“Top Ten Things You Need to Know About Elder Law,” Houston Association of Legal Professionals, September 2023
“Aging Parents: What to Expect and How to Plan,” The Houston Lawyer, November/December 2022
“Estate Planning & Probate: Taking the Bull by the Horns,” River Oaks Breakfast Association, July 2022
“Handling Unplanned Inheritance or Personal Injury Awards,” Author, Speaker, Handling Your First (Or Next) Medicaid or Elder Law Case CLE, State Bar of Texas, March 4, 2022
“Medicaid for the Middle Class: Medicaid Planning With a Closely-Held Business,” Speaker, Attorneys in Tax & Probate, March 2022
“Estate Planning,” Holly Hall Retirement Center, Houston, Texas, January 2022
“Elder Law Planning: Focus on Medicaid and Medicare,” Houston Association of Legal Professionals, October 2021
“Business Property Exclusion in Medicaid Cases,” Co-Author, University of Texas 23rd Annual Estate Planning, Guardianship and Elder Law Conference, August 2021
“Special Needs Estate Planning,” KonnectKraze by AutKonnect, a group for parents of children with autism, March 2021
Memberships
Member, Texas National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and Texas Chapter
Member, National Elder Law Foundation
Member, Texas Bar College
Member, State Bar of Texas, Real Estate, Probate and Trust Law Section
Member, Texas Probate Law American Inn of Court
Member, Houston Bar Association, Probate, Trusts & Estates Section
Member, Houston Attorneys in Tax and Probate (Board President, 2023-2024)
Member, Houston Disability and Elder Law Attorneys Association
Community Service
Pro Bono Attorney, Houston Volunteer Lawyers, Houston Bar Association, 2017-Present
Volunteer, Harris County Probate Courts, Guardianship Visitors Program, 2016-2020
Board Member, St. Mary’s University School of Law Alumni, Houston Chapter, 2019-2022
Volunteer, Travis County Probate Courts, Guardianship Visitors Program, 2015