Richard J. Ebbinghouse – Tax Problem Solver and Attorney

Rick was born in Richmond, Indiana; he is an Eagle Scout, President of the Year, Junior Achievement Eastern Indiana, 1970 and the first lawyer in a family that predominately has worked in the medical profession. He served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Community Grief Support Service in Birmingham, Alabama from 1999-2001, and continued to serve on the Board as Development Committee Chairman until 2011; he has been the Treasurer of the Alabama Council on Human Relations from 1978 to the present; and was active at the Cathedral Church of the Advent (Episcopal) where he was active in the Healing Ministry, Grief Support, and Small Group Leader leading a Bible and religious study group from 2001 until 2011 and helped with the Alpha Course, leading it numerous times.

Rick graduated from Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio in 1974 where he majored in economics and business administration.

He graduated from Cumberland School of Law, cum laude, June, 1977; top 15% of class. Since graduating, he has spent most of his career litigating in federal court, both in trials and appeals. He began his legal career in Selma, Alabama at Legal Services Corporation of Alabama. He was responsible for two major class actions: a civil rights housing case and a consumer home improvement case. In 1980, Rick moved to Tuscaloosa, Alabama to help open that office. He was the Senior Staff Attorney, supervising twelve attorneys. He resigned the Senior Staff Attorney title to devote more time to complex litigation and training in June, 1982. From 1984 – 1988 Rick had a solo practice in Birmingham, Alabama with an emphasis in litigation.

From 1988 – 2011, Rick was a member of Wiggins, Childs, Pantazis, Fisher & Goldfarb, LLC, a large Birmingham, Alabama firm that focuses on litigation, including large class actions. He litigated both individual cases and class actions.

He joined his brother, Tom, in 2011 at Ebbinghouse Law Group, LLC.

Rick is admitted to practice law in both Indiana and Alabama; numerous federal courts; the U.S. Supreme Court; and the U.S. Tax Court. He has litigated appellate cases in the Fifth Circuit (New Orleans); the Sixth Circuit (Cincinnati) and the Eleventh Circuit (Atlanta) Courts of Appeals as well as the United States Supreme Court. He is AV Peer Rated (highest level of professional excellence “very high to preeminent”) in Martindale-Hubbell. His is also a member of American Tax Problem Solvers.

In his spare time, Rick enjoys his Pit Bull Mix rescue dog.

Tom S. Ebbinghouse  (retired)

Tom graduated from DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana in 1977 where he majored in economics. He was a DePauw Rector Scholar as well as a member of the freshman scholastic honor society (Phi Eta Sigma) and the economics honor society (Omicron Delta Epsilon). He earned his law degree from Indiana University School of Law at Bloomington (Maurer School of Law) in 1980 graduating cum laude. While attending law school, Tom served as a law clerk for the Honorable J. Brandon Griffis of the Wayne Superior Court #1 for two summers. Post-graduation, he was a Law Clerk for the Honorable Robert H. Staton of the Indiana Court of Appeals, whom he served for two years.

In 1982 Tom opened his solo practice in Indianapolis where he choose to concentrate on IRS tax problem resolution (admitted to U.S. Tax Court in 1983), wealth preservation (trusts and wills), estate administration, elder law, incapacity (advance directives and guardianships), disability and long-term health care issues (Social Security and Medicaid planning). Tom has also served as an expert on Social Security law for other attorneys in non-disability cases that involve Social Security issues. Tom has chaired and taught many seminars for the Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum (more than fifteen) and the Indiana State Bar Association Solo and Small Firm Conference. Tom is a member of the Indiana State Bar Association, the Indianapolis Bar Association, the American Society of Tax Problem Solvers, and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Inc.

Tom also is an Eagle Scout and has been the treasurer and Cubmaster of Pack 61 and an Assistant Scoutmaster of Troop 56. His oldest son became an Eagle Scout in 2008 and his youngest son became an Eagle Scout in 2010. Nine Ebbinghouse men from three generations are Eagle Scouts: his father, uncle, brothers, nephews, Tom and Tom’s two sons.