Lindsey Chaney

Founder, Chaney Counsel | Special Education & Estate Planning Attorney Serving Clients Across Southern California

Planning with Heart. Protecting What Matters.

About the Founder

Lindsey Chaney is the founder of Chaney Counsel, where she helps California families navigate special education law, special needs planning, and estate planning with compassion, clarity, and purpose. Her practice is grounded in both professional background and personal journey as an attorney, mother, and advocate.

Before becoming an attorney, Lindsey spent over fifteen years in corporate human resources at Zappos.com, a Fortune 100 company renowned for its culture and customer service. There, she learned that true success is built on exceptional communication, empathy, and integrity, principles that now guide every interaction with her clients. She brings that same client-centered approach to her practice, ensuring families feel informed, supported, and genuinely understood.

Lindsey’s path to law was deeply personal. When her son began experiencing seizures at eleven months old, later leading to diagnoses of severe autism and a seizure disorder, she found herself navigating an entirely new world of medical systems, therapies, and education law. Over the years, her son has undergone multiple brain surgeries, received a Vagus Nerve Stimulator (VNS), and participated in a wide range of therapies, including speech therapy, occupational therapy, and intensive behavioral therapy. He will require lifelong care, coordination, and advocacy.

Through fighting for his educational and medical needs, Lindsey experienced firsthand how overwhelming IEPs, insurance denials, public benefits, and long-term planning can feel for families. Those challenges sparked her calling to help other parents facing the same uncertainty and emotional weight.

Motivated by this purpose, Lindsey earned her Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from Mitchell Hamline School of Law. After graduation, she joined her husband’s law firm, The Law Offices of Christopher Chaney, gaining extensive courtroom experience in criminal defense and restraining order litigation. Eventually, she returned to the work that mattered most to her – supporting families, children, and caregivers through planning and advocacy.

Lindsey founded Chaney Counsel to provide families across Los Angeles County, Ventura County, and throughout California with accessible, empathetic legal services. Her approach is practical and deeply personal: meeting families where they are, explaining complex laws in plain language, and creating plans that reflect each client’s goals, values, and lived realities.

She knows families need more than legal documents; they need peace of mind. That belief drives every aspect of her practice. Whether she is preparing parents for an IEP meeting, establishing a Special Needs Trust, or crafting a comprehensive estate plan, her mission is the same: to protect what matters most.

Today, Lindsey continues to advocate for individuals and families both inside and outside the courtroom. Her work is grounded in her ongoing role as an advocate for her son and her connection to the disability community. She remains committed to ensuring that every family she serves receives clarity, compassion, and confidence as they plan for the future.

Areas of Practice

• Special Education Law (IDEA & Section 504)
• Estate Planning & Special Needs Planning
• Conservatorships & Guardianships
• Civil Litigation (Limited to Education and Probate-Related Matters)

Serving Families Across Southern California

Lindsey Chaney proudly represents clients throughout Los Angeles County, Ventura County, and beyond. Whether you need help with an IEP, a special needs trust, or a family estate plan, Chaney Counsel offers compassionate guidance, practical solutions, and lasting peace of mind.