Planning Ahead	In Crisis	Special Needs	Advocacy

Meet the Attorneys

Severns & Stinson focuses on the needs of families confronting issues with health care with a special emphasis on long-term care issues. The firm has five attorneys and two paraprofessionals who understand the sensitive nature of elder care. For over 30 years, Severns & Stinson has provided much more than legal counsel - they empower those who care.

Scott R. Severns, CELA

Known by many in Indiana as the “Father of Elder Law,”  Scott Severns is a founding member and Past President of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and the senior partner of Severns & Stinson. He graduated cum laude from Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis in 1979. His professional career has focused on legal and health care issues that confront older adults and people with disabilities.

Mr. Severns has been Certified as an Elder Law Attorney (CELA) by the National Elder Law Foundation. A Past President of the National Citizens' Coalition for Nursing Home Reform and a former policy analyst for United Senior Action, he has successfully lobbied for nursing home reform laws and was a primary architect of Indiana's home health care legislation known as the CHOICE program.

Mr. Severns has been named a Super Lawyer by Law & Politics and Indianapolis Monthly magazine for the past 5 years.  He is a regular faculty member for the Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum, the American Bar Association, and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys.  He is sought after as a speaker and is often quoted in news stories for his expertise in the law of health care, public benefits, and other issues affecting senior citizens and others with special needs.

His articles have been published in Res Gestae, The Compleat Lawyer and The Long Term Care Handbook. His law practice has appeared on NBC's TODAY program and has been featured in Indianapolis Monthly Magazine, the New York Times and several other national publications.

Scott met his wife Trish at Lawrence Central High School in 1968. They enjoy dancing, visits with their two grandchildren, and are active members of Saint Luke’s United Methodist Church.

Jeffery D. Stinson, CELA

Jeff began his career with Severns & Stinson in 1998 working
as a paralegal while he attended law school. In 2009, he became a partner with Scott Severns in the firm.

Jeff’s practice focuses on elder law, estate planning, long term care planning, Medicaid planning, planning for the disabled, guardianships,
and estate administration.

He is a 1998 graduate of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice with Highest Distinction. Jeff graduated from the Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis in 2002. He is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) and the Indiana State Bar Association. He is currently serves as President of the Indiana Chapter of NAELA and Vice Chair of the Elder law section of the Indiana State Bar Association. Jeff has also been Certified as an Elder Law Attorney (CELA) by the National Elder Law Foundation, a distinction held by only a handful of lawyers in Indiana. 

Jeff enjoys educating both clients and the public at large regarding issues effecting the elderly and speaks at both public and professional seminars. He is married to Jennifer Suba and they have two young children, Josie and Jonah.

Lindsay R. Knowles

Ms. Knowles joined Severns & Stinson in August of 2006. Like attorneys, Jeff Stinson and Scott Severns, Lindsay is a life-long Hoosier. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Indiana University before entering the University of Georgia School of Law where she graduated with honors.

She organized the health care portion of the law school’s conference on working in the public interest and was a founding member of the American Constitutional Society. She is a member of the Indiana State Bar Association, Indianapolis Bar Association, and the Elder Law section of the Indiana State Bar Association.

Since joining Severns & Stinson, Lindsay has been able to carry forward her interests in health care law and constitutional law as part of the team litigating a class action case involving Indiana’s Medicaid program. She also focuses her practice on elder law, estate planning, Medicaid planning, and Veteran's benefits. She is married to attorney, Ben Knowles, and they have recently become proud parents.  Lindsay is taking some time away to spend with their new daughter, Zoe, and expects to return full-time in early 2010.