Lori J. Cerato
Lori J. Cerato
Attorney at Law



Lori J. Cerato

Email MeLori J. Cerato

Location:
Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
Phone:
(570) 424-3506
Fax:
(570) 424-8557
Email:

Lori J. Cerato, Esq., graduated cum laude from the University of Scranton with a Bachelor of Arts in English. She obtained her Juris Doctor from The Dickinson School of Law in 1993. Attorney Cerato completed a judicial clerkship with President Judge Ronald E. Vican and Senior Judge James R. Marsh, both of the Monroe County Court of Common Pleas. In 1995, she became an associate with O'Malley & Harris, P.C., an insurance defense litigation firm, practicing first from the firm's Wilkes-Barre office, and then becoming resident attorney at the Stroudsburg office.

In August of 2000, Attorney Cerato opened her own practice in Stroudsburg, PA. She concentrates her practice in the areas of elder law, estate planning, estate administration, long term care planning planning, Medicaid applications and appeals, and orphan's court litigation. On January 9, 2014, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania appointed Attorney Cerato to a three year term on the Supreme Court's Orphan's Court Procedural Rules Committee.

Attorney Cerato is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, and the Supreme Court of the United States of America. She is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and the Monroe County Bar Association. Since May 1999, Attorney Cerato has authored an article on Elder Law for the Pocono Record's Sage section, which is published the first Wednesday of every month. She is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys.  For many years, Attorney Cerato has been an active member of the Monroe County Bar Association, serving on the Executive Board since 2010. In 2014, Attorney Cerato acts as President of the Association.

In 2003, Attorney Cerato became a faculty member for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute providing instruction to attorneys on "How to Represent an Individual Entering a Nursing Home" in Philadelphia and Scranton, Pennsylvania.

She has also spoken before the following community groups on Elder Law Issues: American Association of University Women, Arrowhead Lakes Senior Group, Christ Episcopal Church family group, New Residents Club of the Poconos, Older Adult Learning Center of East Stroudsburg University, Pennsylvania State Education Association of Retired Teachers-Pocono Chapter, St. Luke's Church Family Group, The Women's Club of Country Club of the Poconos, the Pocono Parkinson Support Group and Chestnut Ridge Seniors.  Attorney Cerato has lectured on elder law at Northampton Community College Center for Adult Learning.   

Areas of Practice

  • Elder Law
  • Estate Planning
  • Estate Administration
  • Guardianships & Conservatorships
  • Living Wills
  • Powers of Attorney and Appointment
  • Wills
  • Medicare & Medicaid
  • Probate & Estate Administration

Bar Admissions

  • Pennsylvania, 1993
  • U.S. District Court Middle District of Pennsylvania, 1993
  • U.S. Supreme Court, 1998

Education

  • Dickinson School of Law of the Pennsylvania State University, Carlisle, Pennsylvania
    • J.D. - 1993
    • Honors: Appellate Moot Court Board
    • Honors: Recipient of Edward N. Polisher Award for Estate & Gift Taxation
  • University of Scranton, Scranton, PA
    • B.A. cum laude - 1988
    • Honors: Dean's List
    • Major: English

Published Works

  • Monthly Article on Elder Law since 1999, Pocono Record's Dignity section

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Member
  • Pennsylvania Bar Association, Member
  • Monroe County Bar Association, Executive Committee since 2010 and President for 2014
  • PA Supreme Court Orphan's Court Procedural Rules Committee, Appointee 2014 to 2016

Past Employment Positions

  • President Judge Ronald E. Vican (Monroe County Court of Common Pleas, Stroudsburg, PA), Law Clerk, 1993 - 1995
  • Senior Judge James R. Marsh (Monroe County Court of Common Pleas, Stroudsburg, PA), Law Clerk, 1994 - 1995
  • O'Malley & Harris, P.C., Associate, 1995 - 2000

Ancillary Businesses

  • Licensed Title Insurance Agent by Commonwealth of PA Insurance Dept.

LORI J. CERATO
Attorney at Law
729 Sarah St.
Stroudsburg, PA 18360
Phone (570) 424-3506
Fax (570) 424-8557
Email: cerato@ptd.net