Amy Delaney

Amy Delaney is the founding Partner of DDV Law, Ltd. where her elder law practice concentrates in nursing home residents’ rights, Medicaid, special needs and estate planning, guardianship and probate litigation, administrative litigation, and probate & estate administration. Amy is a Board-Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA), as certified by the National Elder Law Foundation and the American Bar Association. Recognized by her clients, Amy received the highest rating by avvo.com and the award of Leading Lawyer. The judiciary has granted Ms. Delaney the highest AV rating for ethics and expertise through Martindale-Hubbell. She was also selected by her peers as a Leading Lawyer for over 12 years, a Super Lawyer for over a decade, and has been deemed one of the Top 50 Female Attorneys in Illinois. She has been accepted into the Council of Advanced Practitioners by the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA). Ms. Delaney is board member and Past-President of NAELA in Illinois where she serves on the legislative committee. She served on the editorial board of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys Law Journal and has been a member of the Chicago Bar Association, Elder Law Committee; the Illinois Bar Association; and the South Suburban Estate Planning Council. She also volunteers on the board of directors of several charitable foundations, including the Veterans’ Legal Aid Society and Morgan Park Academy. Ms. Delaney received her B.A. and M.S. from the University of Illinois, and her J.D. from Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon. She has served as a professor of law at the University of Illinois at Chicago (formerly, The John Marshall School of Law). She has been admitted to practice in Washington, Oregon, Indiana, and Illinois, and also before the U.S. District Court and U.S. Tax Court.

Frequently quoted in media outlets such as the Daily Southtown, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Hospital News, The New York Times, she was also featured on PBS and CNN to discuss elder law issues. Most recently, Ms. Delaney was featured on WGN and WBEZ where she assisted the Alzheimer’s’ Foundation in a talk about legal issues facing families with dementia. Amy Delaney is a frequent lecturer on the topic of Elder Law, advising and educating other attorneys and community organizations through her service at the faculty of the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education, the National Business Institute, and Illinois State Bar Association. She also has served as a bar review examiner and proctor for the National Elder Law Foundation, and she also served on the Advisory Board for the University of Illinois College of Nursing, the Alvernia Manor Retirement Community through the Sisters of St. Francis of Christ the King. Ms. Delaney was also tasked by the governor’s office to draft rules relating to remote signings and notarizations during the pandemic and was nominated by the Secretary of State to serve on its Remote Notarization Taskforce. She is a leading author of the treatise on elder law and continues her passion for elder law through writing, speaking, and mentoring other attorneys.

Dedicated to Success:

Ms. Delaney has drafted and assisted in the passage and blockage of legislation to protect seniors, people with disabilities, and nursing home residents. Amy has assisted in the drafting of the Illinois Trust Code, the Illinois Decanting Act, the Power of Attorney Act, the Probate Act, the Nursing Home Care Act, and public benefits statutes and regulations. She served as a legal expert in certain litigation cases, and has testified before Senate, the Joint Committee on Legislative Rulemaking, and House committees.
In 2023, Amy has continued to work to further the advancement of elder law researching, studying and speaking on international retirement through the use of the Golden Visa Program, assisted in the creation of a Probate Manual, and drafted a chapter in a treatise on drafting and negotiating long term care contracts.
In her free time, Amy loves the vibe of downtown Chicago, art, travelling, snorkeling, skydiving, and spending time with her family and friends.