Hinkle, Prior & Fischer, Disability Attorneys

Attorneys at Hinkle, Prior & Fischer have more than seventy years of combined experience providing expert counsel and legal services to families of people with disabilities and seniors. The firm’s attorneys have argued many of the precedent setting cases affecting people with disabilities in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Herbert D. Hinkle has represented people with disabilities and the elderly continuously since 1974. He served as Director of the New Jersey Division of Advocacy for the Developmentally Disabled for 10 years. Mr. Hinkle has served on the Board of Directors for a variety of non-profit organizations, including United Cerebral Palsy Associations, the Arc of New Jersey, Autism New Jersey, Planned Lifetime Assistance Network of New Jersey (PLAN-NJ), Easter Seals, the Alzheimer’s Association and NAMI NJ. He has argued precedent-setting disability rights cases in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, including five cases before the New Jersey Supreme Court. His work has been cited in the Wall Street Journal. He holds a JD from Rutgers University and a LL.M. in Taxation from Temple University. He is a member of the New Jersey and Pennsylvania Bar, the American Association for Justice, and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. He has been a consultant to Rutgers University’s Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and the New Jersey Commission on Bioethics and is a widely published author and lecturer. Mr. Hinkle is also an adjunct professor of law at Rutgers Law School, Camden, where he teaches trusts and estates, and estate planning.

S. Paul Prior has continuously represented people with disabilities and their families for more than a quarter-century. As the younger brother of a man with autism, his roots in disability advocacy began to develop at a very early age. He has successfully argued leading cases before the New Jersey Supreme Court, Third Circuit Court of Appeals, as well as other state and federal courts. Early in his career, he represented individuals in state-operated developmental centers and psychiatric hospitals where he also served as a federal monitor overseeing conditions there. Today, his legal work focuses on special education, guardianship, financial entitlements, and access to appropriate services. A substantial part of his practice is devoted to assisting families in estate and trust matters. He holds a JD from Seton Hall University School of Law, and serves on the Board of Trustees of The Arc of New Jersey, Special Olympics New Jersey, and is Chairman of the Board for Eden Autism. Previously, he served on the Board of Autism New Jersey, the Eden Autism Foundation Advisory Committee, and the ASPEN Professional Advisory Board. He is a member of the Elder Law Section of the New Jersey Bar Association. He has testified before the New Jersey Assembly by invitation and has assisted in the development of several pieces of legislation benefitting individuals with disabilities. He writes and lectures frequently on topics concerning the law and disability, as well as issues affecting siblings. Paul enjoys listening to live music, running, skiing, and is an avid baseball fan.

Maria Fischer, Esq. is personally committed to the field of disability law. The mother of an adult daughter with autism, Maria’s legal work focuses on guardianship, estate planning, and helping families of adults with disabilities access and retain appropriate services. She has testified before the New Jersey legislature on housing issues related to individuals with developmental disabilities, and on controversial policies of the Division of Developmental Disabilities. She has assisted in the development of several pieces of legislation to expand and protect the rights of individuals with disabilities. She is the President of the Board of Directors of The Arc Mercer and serves on the Board of Trustees of the Educational Partnership for Inclusive Communities. She served as a past Chairperson of Special Olympics New Jersey and as a member of the family advisory committee at the Supportive Housing Association of New Jersey. She earned her J.D. from Seton Hall University of Law and is a member of the Pennsylvania and New Jersey Bars. Maria enjoys spending time with her children, Kelly, Traci, and Matthew, as well as her extended family and friends. She likes dancing, going to concerts and traveling.

Jared B. Oberweis concentrates his practice in estate and trust matters, guardianships and adult services. Jared enjoys representing clients with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities to ensure their rights are protected. He was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey and is a graduate of West Windsor Plainsboro High School North. Jared was admitted to the New Jersey Bar and Pennsylvania Bar in 2014 after receiving a Juris Doctorate from Duquesne University School of Law. At Duquense University School of Law, Jared served on Duquense Law Review as a Senior Staff Editor. Prior to law school, he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from University of Pittsburgh, graduating Cum Laude. Jared serves on the Board of Directors of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Mercer County (NAMI Mercer), is a member of the Mercer County Bar Association and volunteers to provide pro bono services. Outside of work, Jared enjoys golfing, cooking and traveling. He currently lives in Yardville, New Jersey with his wife, Lyssa, and their dog, Jax.