Here are some situations in which senior citizens must seriously consider hiring an elder law attorney:
What exactly is Elder Law? Elder Law is defined as any legal issue involving health and personal care planning for the senior population and their caregivers.
Elder Law is a legal term which encompasses those practice areas that address matters affecting the aging population and includes ensuring the legal and financial interests of older individuals are secure, as well as steps taken by supportive family and relatives to ensure that the interests of their loved ones are ...
The short answer is: “No, there is no Government of Canada Will kit”. This article explains why there isn't, and what other options may be available to you.
Yes - will kits are legal in Canada! However, it's not the kit itself or how the will was made that makes it legal, but the signing and witnessing requirements. Once you've filled in the blanks with your information, you will need to sign and witness the will for it to be considered legally-binding.
An elder care attorney helps seniors protect their rights as they age and helps them navigate the legal issues that occur during their golden years. They can help with Medicaid and advanced long-term care planning to help protect seniors’ homes and various assets. Paying for long-term care out of pocket can be financially draining, but an elder care attorney can help to mitigate those out-of-pocket expenses as well as help with financial planning.
Paying for long-term care out of pocket can be financially draining, but an elder care attorney can help to mitigate those out-of-pocket expenses as well as help with financial planning. Choosing a power of attorney, someone designated as the main authority to help decide how and where money is spent, can be difficult, ...
An elder care attorney should make sure that all important documents are in place and up-to-date according to state laws. This typically means a will, a trust, a power of attorney and an advance directive that includes a health care proxy.
Elder law attorneys also help sort out difficult decisions, such as when family members cannot agree about how a loved one wanted to be buried. “Sometimes it’s easier for clients to have that conversation with me, because I’m not a member of the family and it’s less emotional for them,” Sheinberg says.
For instance, a nurse and elder advocate on staff help with medical issues, patient advocacy and nursing home or assisted-living facilities if a person needs to move. Although elder care attorneys typically handle only the legal aspects of planning, they can be a resource for finding other forms of support.
The lawyer also would verify that the elderly person is incapable of decision-making through a doctor’s certification or perhaps by directly meeting with the person. On the flip side, sometimes children come in with a parent they believe is competent but that French discovers is not.
People often think they can simply put a family member’s name on a deed to a house or bank account, but that move can have serious legal repercussions before and after death, French says. “You jeopardize your Medicaid or VA status.