Areas of expertise
Elder Law
As we age, our needs in life change and often become more complex. Having an elder law partner who understands those changing needs can make a difference.
Elder law is a specialized legal practice focused on addressing the unique needs and challenges faced by older Ohioans. This field encompasses a wide range of legal issues, including estate planning, guardianship, healthcare directives, long-term care planning, and elder abuse prevention. Elder law attorneys work to protect the rights and interests of seniors, ensuring they receive the appropriate care, benefits, and financial security they’ve worked hard for. Through comprehensive legal guidance, elder law seeks to empower older adults and their families to make informed decisions, navigate complex legal matters, and maintain dignity and independence throughout their aging journey.
Trusted Advocates for You and Your Loved Ones
Multiple strategies exist to help you preserve the assets you earned over your lifetime against the devastating financial costs of long-term care. Unfortunately, many people don’t know about these planning tools. Our attorneys are trained to facilitate conversations about the possibility of long-term care and encourage clients to revisit their estate plan as health changes.
Individual estates vary in complexity. At one point in your lifetime, you may be most concerned about what will happen to your minor children in the event of a tragedy. As you reach retirement age, you should start evaluating your need to plan for future health needs.
Some of the estate planning tools that you should review at different times include:
Long Term Care Planning & Benefits
The need for long-term care can substantially impact you and your loved ones. Not only does dealing with dementia, physical incapacity, or many other debilitating illnesses of age take a terrible toll on the family, the costs associated with care can be an unbearable burden. Many individuals are surprised when they find out that Medicare does not cover in-home care, assisted living, and nursing care for any sustained period. The current average cost of a nursing home in Columbus is nearly $10,000 per month. Understandably, these costs can completely wipe out a family’s life savings.
We help individuals and families find the right solution for their needs by protecting their estate and gaining access to guarded public benefit programs. Our attorneys can help you:
- Maximize your benefits, including Supplemental Security Income, Medicaid, and VA benefits
- Identify your loved ones’ skilled care needs and available benefit options
- Review your care facility contracts and policy disputes
- Implement asset protection strategies to avoid ‘spend down,’ including asset protection trusts and LLCs, pooled trusts, exempt gifting, and spousal support plans
- Investigate elder-related legal issues
+Navigating VA Benefits
If you or your spouse served on active duty during a wartime period, whether or not you were overseas or saw combat, you might be eligible for a monthly pension from the VA. Non-service connected pensions, such as Aid and Attendance, have several health care and financial requirements. Once approved, they pay a tax-free pension that you or your loved one can use for care expenses, including those associated with assisted living facilities.
Qualifying for this benefit is a complicated process. However, our certified VA attorneys have the knowledge to assist clients in navigating the department’s bureaucracy and, in some situations, can even help you meet the income and asset requirements.
Elder Guardianship
Unfortunately, when loved ones cannot manage their affairs or even appoint a person to help, or when the family is fighting about the best steps, it may be necessary to ask a court to grant guardianship. This is a challenging, often traumatic experience that we want to avoid. If this situation cannot be avoided, our experienced probate attorneys can help review your options and potentially represent the party seeking or resisting elder guardianship.
Estate Recovery & Avoidance
When families are faced with the loss of a loved one, it is essential to have an attorney you can trust to help you through the many issues that can arise after death. If your loved one received Medicaid benefits during life, their estate might be subject to recovery by the attorney general’s office. Our attorneys have experience managing those Medicaid estate recovery claims after a loved one passes.
Whether you are preparing your estate plan, applying for Medicaid, or handling an estate recovery claim, entrusting our lawyers to manage the details and complexities of the estate allows you to focus on taking care of yourself and your family.
How can we help you today?
Give us a call or send a message with any inquiries and legal questions.
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