Steven C. Despotovich was born in Ames, Iowa, on April 3, 1958.

He was admitted to the Iowa Bar in 1983, the U.S. Tax Court in 1984, and the U.S. Supreme Court in 1992. Steve completed his undergraduate degree in 1979, earning a B.S. in Business Administration from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. He also completed the M.B.A. program at Drake prior to receiving his Juris Doctorate in 1983 from the Drake University Law School. In 1988 he earned both his Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) and Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) degrees from The American College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Since 1993 Steve has also been licensed as a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) by the College of Financial Planning in Denver, Colorado.

He is a member of the American Bar Association (Member Real Property, Probate and Trust Section), the Iowa State Bar Association, the Polk County Bar Association and is a member of the Des Moines Estate Planners (President 2003-4).

Steve practices primarily in Estate Planning, Trusts and Estates, Wills and Probate, and Elder Law.