After practicing elder law for five years (2000-2005), Monica became one of only fourteen Tennessee certified elder law attorneys, a designation bestowed by the National Elder Law Foundation. She founded the Elder Law Practice of Monica Franklin which is now Franklin & Kyle Elder Law. In 2007, she created her team of attorneys, social workers and public benefits coordinators to provide a holistic, multidisciplinary approach to help families navigate the long term care maze. She described her wrap-around approach to long-term care planning and asset preservation by saying “We help families find, get and pay for care and escort them through every step along the way”.
During her career, Monica was active in educating attorneys and other professionals as well as the general public about elder law. She has written numerous articles for Tennessee attorneys including a quarterly column published in the Tennessee Bar Journal about elder law issues called “Senior Moments.” The Tennessee Bar Association awarded Monica the Justice W. Henry Award for her 2006 article, Securing Momma’s Home, which was published in the Tennessee Bar Journal. This award is given annually to the lawyer who writes the most outstanding article published in the Tennessee Bar Journal. When presenting the award, TBA president, Larry Wilks, noted that Monica was only the second woman to win the award in the past twenty-five years, and the committee was unanimous in selecting Monica’s article for the award. Monica’s popular booklet, Saving Momma’s Home: 10 Frequently Asked Questions about Nursing Home Medicaid, remains available for downloading on our website.
Born in Tennessee, Monica grew up in Louisiana and graduated from McNeese State University in 1985 with a B.S. cum laude in Psychology and a minor in Math Education. While dabbling in various graduate courses at Louisiana Tech-Shreveport, LSU-Shreveport and Centenary College, Monica taught high school Geometry and Algebra in Shreveport, Louisiana with a special focus on the needs of children with disabilities. In 1989, she moved to Knoxville to attend the University of Tennessee College of Law. She graduated with a J.D. cum laude in 1992.
Monica’s comments on her retirement: “I have enjoyed a wonderful career in elder law. I have thrived on helping people and seeking justice for them. Life has presented me with new challenges. I have been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to amyloid pathology in my brain. I am focused on living a healthy lifestyle by adopting a whole foods, plant-based diet, exercise, socializing with my friends, Connor, and of course, four-legged pals, Scout and Abby. I am connecting with and supporting other professionals in our community who have been diagnosed with young-onset MCI. Now I have time to pursue the creative activities I enjoy including gardening, textile art classes, cooking, and yoga. If you know of someone who has been diagnosed with young-onset mild cognitive impairment, you may encourage them to reach out to me via Facebook (Monica J Franklin) or monica@franklinkyle.com.”
