Scott A. Selis

Lawyer Profile

Personal History

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Mr. Selis has lived in Ormond Beach since he was 13 years old, except for the earliest years of his practice.  After graduating from Seabreeze High School in 1979, Mr. Selis graduated from Florida State University with a Bachelor's degree in Criminology.  Mr. Selis then attended Stetson University College of Law, and graduated in 1988.

Married in 1984, Mr. Selis and his wife, Kimberly, have three children.  When not practicing law, Scott enjoys writing, boating, theater, travel, music and dancing.

Professional History

Mr. Selis began his practice in West Palm Beach representing insurance companies in Personal Injury and Workers' Compensation cases.  In 1993, after attending the funerals of two family members, Scott and his wife, Kimberly, decided that they wanted to raise their children closer to family, so they returned to Ormond Beach.

Mr. Selis continued to represent insurance companies and large employers in Worker's Compensation cases while he was an associate and partner of Smith, Hood, Perkins, Loucks, Stout & Selis.  In 1999, Mr. Selis chose to open his own practice in Ormond Beach. 

Mr. Selis chose to stop representing insurance companies in 2005 and focus his practice on helping people who might lose their life's savings because of long-term care costs.  Mr Selis helps people preserve their life's savings by helping them structure their life's savings in a manner that prevents the government from counting the asset, while allowing his client to retain control over their savings.  As a result, a portion or all of the client's long-term care costs are paid from by the government and/or the Veteran's Administration. 

Mr. Selis chose this very highly specialized and complicated area of law in large part because he saw how devastating and stressful long-term care costs are when a family member was in a nursing home for about 10 years.

After completing several courses, Mr. Selis was accredited by Medicaid Practice Systems to teach Medicaid Planning in 2006.  Mr. Selis uses the skills he attained as a litigator to create customized and creative plans that are designed to protect his client's life savings and help them obtain government benefits to pay for their long-term care costs.  Mr.Selis is also accredited by the Veteran's Administration.

Mr. Selis has been a featured speaker to area professional organizations, including the Florida Assisted Living Association and the Estate Planning Counsel of the Fun Coast teaching professionals about Medicaid and Veteran's Benefits planning.  Mr. Selis also regularly provides educational workshops for the public to debunk myths about how and when a person should seriously explore protecting their life's savings from long-term care costs.

Mr. Selis serves on the Medicaid and Legislative Committees of The Florida Bar's Elder Law Section.  Mr. Selis was appointed by the Department of Children & Families' Secretary, George Sheldon, to serve on a 21 member advisory panel to improve Medicaid  Services to Disabled Adults and the Elderly.  The Department of Children & Families' is responsible for processing all Medicaid Applications.

Mr. Selis is a member of the leading professional organizations associated with elder law, including Elder Counsel, Medicaid Practice Systems, National Association of Elder Law Attorneys and Elder Law Answers.  In addition, Mr. Selis was a charter member of The Academy of Special Needs Planners. 

Community Service

Upon his return to Ormond Beach in 1994, Mr. Selis quickly immersed himself in community service.  Mr. Selis served as a board member and Vice President of Temple Israel in Daytona Beach and was a founding member of Congregation B'nai Torah in Ormond Beach.  Mr. Selis served as Co-President of Congregation B'nai Torah for 2 years.  Mr. Selis was also a board member the Jewish Federation of Volusia and Flagler Counties.  Mr. Selis was a member of Daytona West Rotary Club and is an active board member of the Center for the Visually Impaired. 

Mr. Selis has served on various government committees, including Ormond Beach's Board of Adjustment and Appeals and Planning Board.  Mr. Selis also served Ormond Beach as an elected member of the Ormond Beach City Commission.