Practice Areas
Planning for the future is essential. Without a clear plan in place, the state will decide how your affairs are handled, and the outcome may not reflect your wishes. By taking action now, you can protect your loved ones, minimize stress, and ensure your intentions are honored both during your lifetime and after. Thoughtful planning now lays the foundation for peace of mind in the future, for both you and your loved ones.
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Believe it or not, estate planning isn’t just for the wealthy or for those nearing the end of life. Estate planning is for everyone. If you have loved ones to care for, or money, property, or assets to manage, estate planning is essential. By planning ahead, you take a proactive step to protect your family, minimize stress, and ensure your wishes are carried out during your lifetime and after your death.
Estate planning is more than drafting documents. It’s a thoughtful strategy tailored to your goals and needs. It often includes wills, trusts, powers of attorney, healthcare directives, and beneficiary designations, all designed to give you peace of mind today while preparing for tomorrow.
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Elder Law covers important issues like Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, long-term care, asset protection, assisted living, and nursing home planning. For clients with disabilities, we provide long-term legal strategies to preserve eligibility for Medicaid and other public benefits. We also assist with complex Medicaid applications, helping you keep the maximum income and assets allowed by law.
When it comes to Medicaid, legal guidance is essential. We give you and your family peace of mind during uncertain times, guiding you through the process with clarity and confidence.
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A self-settled asset protection trust is a special type of trust that protects your assets from creditors and predators. In the right circumstances, they can be a powerful tool to safeguard what you’ve worked hard to build. If you would like to learn more about self-settled asset protection trusts, reach out to us and schedule a consultation.
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Estate planning is about creating a plan, while probate is the process of putting that plan into action. Probate involves settling a person’s affairs after they pass away, which can often feel complicated and overwhelming.
We’re here to guide you through every step: validating the will, appointing an executor, identifying and valuing assets, and ensuring those assets are distributed to the right people.
It is also important to understand the difference between probate/wills and trusts. A will takes effect after death and usually requires probate, while a trust can work during your life and after death, often avoiding probate and offering more flexibility and privacy.
The individuals you appoint to handle your estate carry significant responsibility. We work closely with them and you to make the process as efficient, straightforward, and stress-free as possible, while carrying out your wishes.
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A Special Needs Trust is designed to provide for a person with disabilities without jeopardizing their eligibility for important government benefits like SSI, Social Security, or Medicaid. Public benefits can help, but they rarely cover all of a person’s needs throughout their lifetime. A Special Needs Trust steps in to fill those gaps.
Because the beneficiary cannot demand money directly from the trust, the funds are not counted against them when qualifying for benefits. Instead, the trustee manages the money and can pay for things that improve the beneficiary’s quality of life, such as personal care, therapies, equipment, or recreational activities, without reducing their benefits.
Without a Special Needs Trust, leaving money directly to a loved one with disabilities, even through a standard trust, retirement plan, or life insurance, can unintentionally reduce or eliminate their benefits. With a properly drafted Special Needs Trust, we can help you avoid this problem, allowing you to provide support while protecting your loved one’s long-term care and financial security.
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A conservatorship is a legal arrangement where the court appoints someone (called a conservator) to manage the personal or financial affairs of another person who can no longer do so on their own. This often happens when someone is elderly, has a disability, or has experienced an illness or injury that affects their ability to make decisions.
There are generally two types:
Conservator of the person: makes decisions about healthcare, living arrangements, and personal care.
Conservator of the estate: manages money, property, and financial matters.
Conservatorships are designed to protect vulnerable individuals, but they also limit that person’s independence. Because of this, courts only put them in place when absolutely necessary, and the conservator must report regularly to the court to ensure the individual’s needs are being met. If you are interested in learning more about how to set up a conservatorship, please schedule a consultation with us, and we would be happy to assist you.
