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Scott Stebler: A Board-Certified Estate Planner Who’s Also a Certified Trust and Financial Advisor

Scott Stebler holds two distinct professional credentials that most estate planning attorneys carry only one of: board certification in Estate Planning and Probate Law from the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, and separately, a Certified Trust and Financial Advisor (CTFA) designation through the Institute of Certified Bankers and American Bankers’ Association — a financial-industry credential, not a legal one. That combination means his practice brings both legal and trust-administration financial expertise to the same client relationship.

Origin and Background

Scott Stebler earned his J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law and his undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at Austin. He is board certified in Estate Planning and Probate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and holds the Certified Trust and Financial Advisor (CTFA) designation. He has extensive experience in guardianship, probate, estate administration, and special needs trust matters, along with specific experience resolving Medicaid, Medicare, SSI, and SSDI issues, and IRS matters related to federal estate and gift tax liability. His law partner, Sarah Sulak, is separately recognized by Super Lawyers for Estate Planning & Probate and is specifically praised by clients for guardianship and elder care work.

Practice Concentration

The firm specializes specifically in special needs trusts, estate planning, probate and estate administration, guardianship, and trust administration — a narrower, more specialized practice than a general estate planning firm, built around clients navigating disability, incapacity, or elder care alongside standard estate planning needs. The firm explicitly handles both first-party special needs trusts (funded with a disabled individual’s own assets, such as a settlement) and third-party special needs trusts (funded by family members), noting that the legal requirements for each differ significantly. For a broader comparison of Austin estate planning practices, see our Estate Planning & Probate directory.

Notable Work / Track Record

As is standard for estate planning practices, the firm does not publish verdict or settlement figures, since this work doesn’t generate case outcomes in the traditional sense. Awesome Attorneys is disclosing that gap rather than substituting marketing language for it. What is independently verifiable is ongoing, ongoing fiduciary-style client relationships: reviews describe Stebler continuing to provide regulatory compliance guidance to a trustee years after establishing a special needs trust, rather than a one-time document-drafting engagement.

Client Voice

The firm’s reviews are specific and describe sustained, multi-year relationships rather than one-time transactions. One client described Stebler drawing up a special needs trust for a disabled relative and then “continually” providing guidance on regulatory compliance after being appointed trustee. Another, working with Sulak on guardianship issues for a disabled sister and Medicaid spend-down planning, wrote: “Sarah is kind, warm, very smart, grounded, proactive, practical and well informed. What more could you want in an elder care attorney?” An independent review-aggregator summary specifically praised the firm’s “efficient and fair billing practices” as enhancing client experience. Awesome Attorneys did not identify negative reviews for this firm in the course of research; given the review platforms searched, this should be read as “none found” rather than “none exist.”

Beyond the Courtroom

The firm’s ongoing-guidance model for trustees after a special needs trust is established — rather than a one-time drafting service — reflects genuine specialization in the reality that special needs trusts require sustained compliance oversight to protect a beneficiary’s government benefit eligibility over time, not just correct initial drafting.

Recognition for This Austin Estate Planning Firm

Peer-reviewed and third-party credentials: board certification in Estate Planning and Probate Law from the Texas Board of Legal Specialization (Scott Stebler); the CTFA designation through the Institute of Certified Bankers; and Super Lawyers recognition for Sarah Sulak in Estate Planning & Probate.

Texas Legal Backdrop

Special needs trusts — the firm’s specific focus — must be structured carefully to avoid disqualifying a beneficiary from means-tested government benefits like Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medicaid, which generally limit a recipient to no more than $2,000 in countable resources. First-party special needs trusts funded with the disabled individual’s own assets must generally be established before the beneficiary turns 65 under federal law (the 21st Century Cures Act), and missing that window can trigger Medicaid transfer penalties — which is why timing and correct trust structuring matter as much as the underlying legal documents. Guardianship in Texas, another firm focus, requires a court finding of incapacity under the Texas Estates Code, with the law favoring less restrictive alternatives where they can adequately protect the person’s interests. None of this is legal advice; a specific special needs trust or guardianship matter should be evaluated by a licensed attorney based on the actual facts and timing involved, given how consequential these deadlines can be.

Awesome Attorneys Assessment

The clearest, most specific differentiator here is genuine specialization in special needs trusts and elder law — a narrower, deeper practice than general estate planning — combined with Scott Stebler’s unusual dual credential as both a TBLS board-certified attorney and a Certified Trust and Financial Advisor, and reviews documenting sustained, multi-year trustee guidance rather than one-time document preparation. The honest trade-off is that this specialization means the firm may not be the natural first choice for a client with a straightforward estate plan and no special needs or elder care dimension, where a more general-practice firm might be simpler and potentially less costly. For a family navigating a disabled family member’s long-term care planning, a special needs trust, or a guardianship matter — precisely the niche this firm has built its practice around — that specific specialization and CTFA-backed financial expertise are a strong basis for a shortlist.

Methodology and Sourcing

This profile was researched from Stebler & Sulak, PLLC’s official website (steblersulak.com), Scott Stebler’s Justia attorney profile, the firm’s Super Lawyers and Birdeye profiles, an independent review-aggregator summary, and the Special Needs Alliance’s Texas attorney directory. Client quotes are reproduced from publicly posted, attributed reviews.

Publisher Disclosure and Independence Notice

Awesome Attorneys is an independent legal directory and editorial publication. This profile was not paid for, commissioned, or reviewed by Scott Stebler, Sarah Sulak, or Stebler & Sulak, PLLC prior to publication. Awesome Attorneys may in the future offer sponsored placement products to attorneys and firms, including this one, but sponsorship has no bearing on the editorial content, inclusion, or findings of this profile.