Attorney Jason Files has been practicing law in Arkansas since 1995 and today edits and publishes The Arkansas Court Bulletin, a weekly review of Arkansas appellate decisions, a project that reflects a sustained engagement with the state’s evolving legal landscape that extends well beyond his client-facing work.
Overview
Pinnacle Legacy Law is an Arkansas law firm with offices in Little Rock and Hot Springs that focuses on elder law, estate planning, wills, and related planning matters. The firm operates with the stated aim of helping clients preserve the safety, financial security, and way of life they have built, both for themselves and for future generations.
The practice is rooted in decades of Arkansas legal experience. Principal attorney Jason Files has been practicing in the state since graduating Juris Doctor with honors from the Bowen School of Law at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 1995, having previously earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1990. His career has spanned multiple practice areas over the years, including personal injury, divorce, criminal defense, and probate litigation, before concentrating in estate planning and elder law.
In addition to client representation, Files edits and publishes The Arkansas Court Bulletin, a weekly digest of Arkansas appellate decisions that is distributed to attorneys and others tracking developments in the state’s courts. He is also a regular speaker at continuing legal education programs for attorneys and paralegals, as well as at community-oriented estate planning workshops.
The firm has two offices: the primary location at 900 S Shackleford Rd, Suite 708, Little Rock, AR 72211, and a second location at 835 Central Ave, Suite 310, Hot Springs, AR 71901. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
Phone: (501) 530-9829
Email: info@pinnaclelegacylaw.com
Website: pinnaclelegacylaw.com
Practice Areas
Estate Planning
Estate planning at Pinnacle Legacy Law covers the drafting and coordination of legal documents that determine how a person’s assets and healthcare decisions are handled during their lifetime and at death. This includes wills, revocable living trusts, irrevocable trusts, powers of attorney for financial matters, and advance healthcare directives. The firm works with clients to structure plans that reflect their specific family circumstances, asset profile, and long-term goals.
Elder Law
Elder law encompasses the legal needs of aging adults and their families, including planning for long-term care, Medicaid eligibility, asset protection, and the transition of financial management when a person can no longer handle their own affairs. The firm’s membership in the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and the Academy of Special Needs Planners reflects a specialization in this area that goes beyond general estate planning. Elder law frequently intersects with Medicaid planning, guardianship, and special needs trust drafting.
Wills
The firm drafts last wills and testaments as standalone documents or as part of a broader estate plan. A will directs the distribution of a person’s probate assets, names an executor to administer the estate, and can name guardians for minor children.
Trusts
Trust-based planning involves establishing legal arrangements that hold and manage assets according to specific terms. Revocable living trusts allow assets to pass outside of probate and can provide management continuity during a period of incapacity. Irrevocable trusts serve different purposes, including asset protection and Medicaid planning.
Probate and Estate Administration
When an estate goes through probate, a personal representative is appointed by the court to administer the estate according to the will or Arkansas intestacy law. The firm provides guidance through the Arkansas probate process, including court filings, creditor handling, and the transfer of assets to beneficiaries.
Special Needs Planning
Through membership in the Academy of Special Needs Planners, the firm addresses planning for individuals with disabilities, including the structuring of special needs trusts that preserve eligibility for government benefit programs such as Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income.
Attorney Profile
Jason Files is the principal attorney at Pinnacle Legacy Law. He holds a B.A. in English from Rhodes College (1990) and a J.D. with honors from the Bowen School of Law, University of Arkansas at Little Rock (1995). He has been licensed to practice in Arkansas state courts since 1995, and is also admitted to the Eastern and Western U.S. District Courts of Arkansas and the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.
His professional memberships include the Arkansas Bar Association (Probate and Trust Section and Elder Law Section), the Pulaski County Bar Association, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, the Academy of Special Needs Planners, WealthCounsel, and ElderCounsel.
Location and Service Area
The firm’s primary office is in Little Rock at 900 S Shackleford Rd, Suite 708, Little Rock, AR 72211. The Hot Springs office is located at 835 Central Ave, Suite 310, Hot Springs, AR 71901. The dual-office structure extends the firm’s geographic reach across a significant portion of central Arkansas.
Client Focus
Pinnacle Legacy Law serves individuals and families who are engaged in planning for the future, whether that means drafting foundational estate planning documents for the first time, addressing the legal and financial complexities that arise as a person ages, or planning for a family member with a disability. The firm also serves clients in probate matters when an estate administration becomes necessary.
The combination of estate planning and elder law is a natural one for this client population. Many clients arrive with both estate planning needs and questions about Medicaid, long-term care options, or how to structure assets to protect a spouse or dependent. The firm’s memberships in WealthCounsel and ElderCounsel indicate affiliation with networks that provide legal drafting tools and continuing education specifically in these intersecting areas.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Arkansas require a will to go through probate?
In Arkansas, a will does not automatically avoid probate. The probate process is generally required for assets held solely in the decedent’s name without a beneficiary designation. Certain planning strategies, such as revocable living trusts, payable-on-death designations, and jointly held property, can allow assets to pass outside of probate. An attorney can help you evaluate which approach is appropriate for your situation.
What is the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys?
NAELA is a professional organization for attorneys who practice in elder law and special needs planning. Membership indicates a focus on legal issues specific to aging adults and people with disabilities, including Medicaid planning, guardianship, and long-term care planning.
Can estate planning help protect assets from nursing home costs?
Medicaid asset protection planning involves restructuring ownership and titling of assets to achieve Medicaid eligibility for long-term care while preserving as much of the family’s estate as permitted under federal and state law. This planning is time-sensitive, as Medicaid has a look-back period during which prior asset transfers are reviewed for eligibility purposes.
What is a special needs trust?
A special needs trust is a legal arrangement designed to hold assets for a beneficiary with a disability in a way that does not disqualify the beneficiary from receiving government benefit programs like Medicaid or Supplemental Security Income. It allows the trust assets to supplement, rather than replace, government benefits.
Does the firm have offices outside of Little Rock?
Yes. In addition to the primary Little Rock office, the firm has a second office in Hot Springs at 835 Central Ave, Suite 310, Hot Springs, AR 71901.
Closing
Pinnacle Legacy Law represents the type of focused elder law and estate planning practice that is built through deliberate specialization over time. Jason Files’s background moving through multiple practice areas before concentrating in estate and elder law, combined with his active engagement in Arkansas legal publishing and continuing education, reflects a practitioner with broad legal experience now applied specifically to the planning needs of Central Arkansas families.