Legal planning for your older adult can be overwhelming and confusing. Instead of struggling to figure it out yourself (and possibly missing an important detail), it’s better to find an experienced elder law attorney that you can trust.

What Is an Elder Law Attorney?

Elder law is a specialized legal area focused on older adults and their adult children. This type of attorney focuses on specific needs, including:

• Power of attorney and other important legal documents
• Long-term care planning and paying for care
• Medicare and Medicaid planning
• Veterans benefits
• Estate planning
• Disability planning
• Elder abuse

How an Elder Law Attorney Can Help

1. Plan for the future and protect assets.

Everyone’s situation is different and the law is confusing and full of state-specific “fine print.” An elder law attorney can help answer questions like:

• How can I qualify for Medicaid, so it will pay for nursing home care?
• How do I protect mom’s house and assets, but still afford the care she needs?
• How do I make sure my wife will have money left after all my care expenses are paid?
• What to do if I need to become dad’s guardian or conservator?
• After I pass away, will Medicaid try to get money from my estate for the medical bills they paid and cause problems for my spouse or kids?

These are complicated questions and the answers will be different for each person. Consult a reputable elder law attorney to find out how they can help protect your senior’s legal and financial situation and help you figure out how to pay for the care they’ll need.

The fees could be well worth it if they can save your family thousands of dollars (and avoid nasty legal headaches) down the road.

2. Make sure you have all the correct legal documents for your state.

A local elder law attorney can also make sure that you’ve completed the important legal documents for your state.

Laws are different (and very specific!) for each state, so it’s important that the documents are prepared correctly, especially for things like Power of Attorney, Living Will, and other critical planning documents.

Bottom Line

Legal planning for your older adult can be overwhelming and confusing. Instead of struggling to figure it out yourself (and possibly missing an important detail), it’s better to find an experienced elder law attorney that you can trust.

• Find an Elder Law Attorney in Your Area
• Spotting and Preventing Elder Financial Abuse
• Financial Paperwork and Information Your Elderly Parents Should Have On Hand

Reviewed February 2024

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