Elder Law

Elder law is an aspect of estate planning, focusing primarily on the needs of families and individuals as they age. As our population ages, more and more of us confront elder law-related issues, whether for ourselves or our parents. One of the most pressing issues is long-term nursing home care, which is usually not covered by traditional health insurance. Depending on where you live, and the level of care needed, nursing home care can cost from $10,000 to $12,000 a month.

Issues of aging also include housing and home care, long-term care, Guardianships, health care documents, Medicare and Medicaid. Most people end up paying for nursing home care until their personal (or family) assets are depleted, careful planning, however, can help protect assets, whether for your spouse or for your children.

Creating comprehensive planning strategies to protect a client’s primary residence and other assets from the ever-rising cost of nursing homes. Our experienced Elder Law attorneys work with clients in the following areas:

Working closely with clients to preserve and protect assets through the use of irrevocable trusts, life estates, and other instruments
Guiding clients through the maze that is the MassHealth (Medicaid) application process
Assisting clients in obtaining Guardianships over adults facing short or long term disabilities so that decisions regarding their health and maintenance can be made
Working with clients to obtain a Conservatorship over an incapacitated adult so that their assets can be well-managed and preserved
Identifying recipients of assets that will not violate MassHealth’s Asset Transfer Rules including spouses, siblings, and the “caretaker child”
Representing clients who have been denied long term care coverage in their appeals before the MassHealth Board of Hearings
Working with clients to negotiate with the MassHealth Estate Recovery Unit in order to preserve assets after a MassHealth recipient has passed

Visit Planning Guides under About to download our document, Elder Law Planning.