May has been designated as Elder Law Month by the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys.  Both Peter E. Grosskopf and Aric D. Burch are members of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and invite you to learn more about the practice of Elder Law.  Elder Law has changed over the years.  It used to be thought of as simply dealing with preparation of documents for our seniors, such as Financial Powers of Attorney or Healthcare Powers of Attorney.  Since that time, it has become a larger part of the legal landscape.  At a time when Estate and Inheritance Taxes have become nonissues for a great many people across the country, the legal issues facing our elderly have increased many times over.  For example, “Elder Law” can include many such things, including:

• Planning for Medicare;
• Planning for Medicaid, which is that part of the government that can pay for long term care in nursing homes, assisted living, or even in home care;
• Estate Planning and Probate, and ways to avoid Probate;
• Guardianship or Conservatorship;
• Asset Management;
• Financial Powers of Attorney or Healthcare Directives;

Even with Financial Powers of Attorney and Healthcare Directives, for most situations, the simple, free documents that exist are simply inadequate to deal with the reality of planning or qualifying for Medicaid or end of life health issues or financial management.  Joint bank accounts can be a trap for the unwary, misinformation about “Medicaid Spend Down”, and Medicaid’s “Five Year Lookback” are found everywhere. 

That is why it is important to make sure that you are dealing with a qualified Elder Law Attorney such as the attorneys here at Grosskopf & Burch.  We look forward to meeting with you and assisting you with your needs, now and in the future.

For more information about the advantages of hiring an Elder Law Attorney, please see the article below entitled "Why Hire and Elder Law Attorney?"