Understanding who an elder law attorney is and how this professional can help you or your elderly loved one is important. In this article, I have provided you with detailed information regarding who an elder law attorney is and how this professional can help.
Who is an Elder Law Attorney?
An elder law attorney is a professional that provide overarching coordination for the financial, legal, and health care decisions that plagues seniors. Searching and paying for long term care is something that a lot of seniors and their family fail to plan for, which can lead to difficulties in securing appropriate care.
To prevent this from happing, it is important that seniors make plans to cater to the health care, financial, and other needs of themselves. This can easily be done by contacting an elder law attorney.
An elder law attorney is your best bet regarding a panoply of legal matters affecting seniors. They are skilled In handling legal matter affecting older or disabled individuals, and issues related to health care, long-term care planning, guardianship, retirement, Social Security, Medicare/ Medicaid, and other crucial matters.
How can an Elder Law Attorney Help you?
Before contacting an elder law attorney it makes sense to understand what they do, how they charge, including the various ways in which they can help you. Below I have highlighted some of the most important issues an Elder Law Attorney can help you with:
- Help you draft plan for the future and protect your assets
An elder law attorney boasts of the experienced required to offer you valuable advices on how to plan for future care needs.
These professionals often answer questions such as:
- How can I qualify for Medicaid so it will finance my nursing home care needs?
- How do I safeguard my parents’ house and assets, but still afford the care she requires?
- How do I ensure that my wife will have adequate funds left after my care expenses are settled?
- What do I require to become dad’s guardian or conservator?
- Upon my death, will Medicaid try to get assets from my estate to settle the medical bills they paid and cause issues for my loved ones?
The above-mentioned questions including the answers will be different for each individual.
A competent elder law attorney helps in tackling seniors legal and financial issues. This professional also helps seniors figure out how to finance the care they’ll require as they as older.
Elder law attorneys don’t work for free. So you will definitely pay them for their services. However, the fees are well worth it, if they can save your family a huge chunk of money and prevent future legal quagmire.
- Make sure that all legal documents follow’s your state’s rule.
Each state has different laws. Thus, it is crucial that the drafted documents are well prepared. If you would be creating a power of attorney, living will, and other important estate planning documents, it is important that you draft them in accordance with your state laws.
Since you aren’t an expert in this field, you will surely need the help of a professional in the person of an elder law attorney.
An elder law attorney has the experience and knowledge required to draft legal documents that adheres to your state and local law.
Other issues an elder law attorney can help you with are:
- An elder law attorney can represent a guardian on legal and financial matters as required
- Guidance and creation of important estate planning documents such as durable power of attorney, trusts, or estate planning
- Help you plan for Medicare or Medicaid coverage
- Help you process social security and dis ability claims
- Help in the issue of elder abuse and fraud discovery
- Helps you understand health and mental health law
- General guidance and assistance with long-term care planning
- And much more….
Do you need an Elder law attorney?
If you need an elder law attorney for matters regarding your elderly loved one, don’t hesitate to call our office. Or if you are a senior and you need help with applying for Medicaid, you can also contact us for assistance. In addition, in the event that your assets and income are above the threshold, signaling your ineligibility for Medicaid, you can contact us if you wish to set up a Medicaid Asset protection Trust. However, you must have the Medicaid look back period in mind. This means that, after placing your assets in this trust, you are to wait for the next 5 years before applying for Medicaid to avoid any form of sanction.
