Matthew J. Leonard, Esq. has devoted his practice to handling the legal needs of individuals and their business interests through all stages of life. As an attorney with the law firm of Salter McGowan Sylvia & Leonard, Inc., he has been engaged to handle matters Matthew-Leonardfrom basic to sophisticated involving Estate Planning, Elder Law, Medicaid Planning, Probate, Trust and Estate Administration, Real Estate, Business Transactions, Business Creation and related litigation.

Mr. Leonard is a trustee of numerous private trusts and has routinely served as executor of client estates. He regularly appears in Probate, District and Superior Court representing executors, administrators, guardians, trustees and beneficiaries. He appears before the Rhode Island Department of Human Services in support of client Medicaid applications.

He is currently serves as the Probate Judge for the Town of Barrington, Rhode Island. He is a current Member of the Rhode Island Chapter and National Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (Education Subcommittee), of the Rhode Island Bar Associations Business Entity Subcommittee, and Probate & Trust Committee.  His is a current member of the Estate Planning Council of Rhode Island. He has served on the Town of Smithfield, Rhode Island Planning Board, and also as President of the Providence College Alumni Association (Greater Providence Chapter). Mr. Leonard represents both buyers and sellers with residential and commercial real estate transactions.

 

Rating

Mr. Leonard has received a peer review rating of 5.0 on a scale of 5.0 and has been endorsed for Ethical Standing, as reported by Martindale-Hubbell, an independent attorney evaluating company. Mr. Leonard earned the 5.0 rating in all measured categories which included: Legal Knowledge, Analytical Capabilities, Judgment, Communication Ability and Legal Experience. The Areas of Practice that the criteria applied to included Estate Planning. Martindale-Hubbell has been the world’s leading source of information for the legal profession for more than 140 years. Its flagship products Lawyers.com and martindale.com®, are the most complete sources of information on lawyers available anywhere.

He is a frequent author and lecturer having published materials with the National Business Institute on the following topics:

  • Demystifying Asset Protection Vehicles (April 2008);
  • The Probate Process from A to Z (December 2009);
  • Drafting the Essential Components of a Living Trust (March 2009);
  • Buying or Selling A Business in Rhode Island (June 2010);
  • Drafting Effective Wills and Trusts (June 2011);
  • Resolving Estate Will and Trust Contests (February 2013);
  • Protecting Assets While Qualifying For Medicaid (April 2013);
  • Top Elder Care Strategies (February 2014);
  • Drafting Effective Wills and Trusts (December 2014);
  • Protecting Assets While Qualifying For Medicaid Update (January 2015);
  • Elder Law Home Care and Caregiver Agreements (February 2015);
  • Medicaid Planning (April 2015);
  • Special Needs Trusts: Planning for Persons with a Disability (October 2015);
  • Protecting Assets While Qualifying for Medicaid (January 2016);
  • Trust 101 (April 2016);
  • Advanced Estate and Trust Administration (June 2016)
  • Guardianship’s from Start to Finish (September 2016)
  • Grantor Trusts From Start to  Finish (December 2016)
  • Medicaid Lookback Rules (February 2017)
  • The Probate Process from Start to Finish (April 2017)
  • Advanced Trusts and Estates -A How To Guide (June 2017)
  • Estate Administration Step by Step (December 2017)
  • NATIONAL WEBINAR – How Trusts Affect Medicaid Eligibility and Estate Recovery (March 2018)
  • Estate Planning From A to Z (March 2018)
  • Protecting Assets While Qualifying for Medicaid (May 2018)
  • Top Challenges In Estate Administration (June 2018)
  • Medicaid Lookback Rules and Planning (November 2018)
  • Estate Planning: Top 7 Tools To Know (February 2019)
  • Protecting Assets While Qualifying for Medicaid (June 2019)
  • NATIONAL WEBINAR – Medicaid Asset Transfer Rules and Techniques (July 2019)
  • NATIONAL WEBINAR – Protecting Assets While Qualifying for Medicaid, Medicare and Government Benefits (September 2019)
  • NATIONAL LIVE WEBCAST – Trusts from Start to Finish (January 2020)
  • Top Elder Care Strategies (April 2020)
  • NATIONAL WEBINAR – Medicaid and Special Needs Planning  – A CASE STUDY (September 2020)
  • NATIONAL LIVE WEBCAST – Gifting Tactics in Medicaid Planning (April 2021)
  • NATIONAL WEBINAR – Protecting Assets While Qualifying For Medicaid  (May 2021)
  • NATIONAL WEBINAR – Trusts from A to Z (October 2021)
  • NATIONAL WEBINAR – Gifting Tactics in Medicaid Planning (December 2021)
  • NATIONAL WEBINAR – Medicaid Asset Transfer Rules and Techniques (June 2022)
  • WEBINAR – Rhode Island Estate Administration From Start to Finish (June 2022)
  • NATIONAL WEBINAR – Medicaid Planning Curing Gift and Minimizing Tax Impact (August 2022)

  Providence

In addition to his accomplishments advising clients, he has been recognized in his larger community and received the following awards:

THE WOMEN’S RESOURCE CENTER OF RHODE ISLAND: 2012 MEN WHO MAKE A DIFFERENCE AWARD RECIPIENT

Women’s Resource Center of Rhode Island

This award recognized men in the community who serve as positive examples of the difference men can make in the lives of women and children in their community. The Women’s Resource Center of Rhode Island is a domestic violence prevention group that serves through the empowerment of individuals and the community by providing advocacy, education and support services.

PROVIDENCE COLLEGE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION: 2014 MAL BROWN AWARD

Providence College Alumni Association (Greater Providence Chapter – The Mal Brown Club)

The Alumni Associations highest accolade given to the alumni whose life has exemplified the love and loyalty for Providence College and its community.

He is a graduate of Providence College with a Bachelor of Science Degree and of Roger Williams University School of Law with a Juris Doctor Degree.

He is admitted to practice in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Florida, as well as the Federal Courts of Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut. He is a member of the Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Florida bar associations.

Mr. Leonard has volunteered his time and services with the Providence College Alumni Association, The Greater Providence YMCA and as a coach for St. Luke’s CYO basketball and Barrington Youth Soccer Association. He resides in Barrington, Rhode Island with his wife Natalie and their two children Matthew and Lauren.