Elder Law

The overriding principle of the Elder Law practice is our commitment to help people age in place with courage, grace and dignity. Providing top quality legal services to seniors and those who love them brings peace of mind to our clients, as they face the difficult challenges of the aging process. We help our clients pull together all the pieces of estate planning, government benefits, asset preservation, appropriate housing and care-giving options, and many more issues that challenge them. Our greatest satisfaction comes from guiding our clients to a solution that benefits present and future generations. To that end, we welcome and encourage working together with the entire family.

What is elder law, and what sets elder law attorneys apart from other attorneys? Time Magazine recently referred to them as "kindler, gentler attorneys." Their focus is on the older client and their families - and how best to assure their clients’ quality of life during their final years. The focus is not just on the division and disposition of assets left behind. Elder law is a blend of about 50 percent legal work and about fifty percent social work.

Planning is the focus of elder law. It includes taking steps to preserve independence for as long as possible - and for appointing an advocate in the event of incapacity. In cases where one ill spouse may require institutionalization, planning takes on the added aspect of providing sufficient funds for the healthy spouse left at home. Elder law attorneys tend to be compassionate - as well as knowledgeable. They are aware of the importance of smaller things, such as printing documents in larger type, and designing conference rooms to accommodate wheelchairs.

America’s growing elderly population is a key factor behind this emerging legal specialty. Improvements in health care and medical technology mean more people are living longer, but often with chronic illness that may require expensive long-term care. Additionally, many families are scattered across the country. Today’s elderly cannot always count on having a family caregiver close by.

And, growing older can be very tough. We recently saw a play where an elderly character said, "What don’t hurt - don’t work!" And it just gets tougher as time passes. We start to lose our spouses and our friends. The popular culture becomes foreign to us. We don’t understand the music, the TV shows - especially not the commercials - the way younger people dress, the choices they make, or the language they use. Every day there are losses to face. Every day there are struggles with illness and potential incapacity. A client came to see me and said, ’I wake up in the middle of the night worrying about if I have to go into a nursing home.’ She is 79, very healthy. But she said, ’I really worry. Will I lose everything? Will I lose my home? What about Medicaid?’

A nice summation of the idea of "Elder Law" is that it can help answer those questions that keep you awake in the middle of the night.

ElderLaw

Elder Law

General Practice