What Is An Elder Law Attorney?

A Florida elder law attorney is a lawyer who deals with legal issues that impact elderly clients:

• Health and personal care planning which include powers of attorney and living wills, lifetime planning, and family issues;
• Fiduciary (financial) representation, housing opportunities and financing, income, estate, and gift tax matters;
• Planning for a well spouse when the other spouse requires long term care, asset protection, public benefits such as Medicaid benefits, insurance, and veteran's benefits;
• Capacity, guardianship, and guardianship avoidance;

• Resident rights in long-term care facilities and nursing home claims;

• Employment and retirement matters, age or disability discrimination, and grandparents' rights.
• Will and trust planning, planning for minor or adult special needs children, and probate;
• Life care planning- planning for all aspects of aging, illness, and incapacity. The specialization requires a practitioner to be particularly sensitive to the legal issues impacting elder clients

For example, when planning an estate, a Florida elder law attorney would take into consideration the health of the person or couple, the potential for nursing home care, whether Medicaid benefits will be available, and the wishes and concerns of the person or couple if that event were to occur.

If need arises, the Florida elder law attorney will associate other legal experts.  Florida Elder law covers all aspects of planning, counseling, education, and advocating for clients.

Florida Elder Law Attorneys bring more to their practice than just expertise in Florida elder law. They also have knowledge of the senior population and the unique needs of the elderly as well as the myths related to competence and aging, and the availability and eligibility requirements for Medicaid benefits in Florida.

They are aware of the physical and mental difficulties that often accompany the aging process.

Because of their broad knowledge base, the elder law attorney is able to more thoroughly address the legal needs of their clients, and to assist in Medicaid planning to protect the client's assets from being exhausted through the cost of nursing home care.

According to Time Magazine, elder law attorneys stand out from other attorneys as kinder, gentler attorneys. The focus of an elder law attorney is on the older client and their families and how to best assure their client's quality of life during their final years rather than just on disposition of assets. Elder law is often considered a well blended mix of law and social work.

The Jacksonville, Florida elder law attorneys associated with The Coleman Law Firm, PLLC, can help you in all aspects of providing legal counsel to you and your family concerning you elder law needs and Medicaid benefits planning and eligibility, including the preparation and implementation of a Medicaid spenddown plan and filing the application for Medicaid benefits with the Florida Department of Children and Families.   Please contact us in Jacksonville at (904) 448-1969 or email us at Info@TheColemanLawFirm.net. We are a participating attorney in the AARP Legal Services Network.

For more information about asset protection planning read The Florida Asset Protection and Estate Planning Blog.

The Jacksonville Florida elder law attorneys and Medicaid planning lawyers with the Coleman Law Firm offer their services as estate planning, probate, elder law, Medicaid planning, including Medicaid spenddown planning, asset protection and guardianship lawyers and attorneys primarily in Northeast Florida including the following counties, towns, and cities:  Duval County - Jacksonville, Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach; St. Johns County - St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra Beach, Nocatee, St. Augustine Beach; Clay County - Orange Park, Middleburg, Green Cove Springs; Nassau County - Amelia Island, Fernandina Beach, Yulee, Callahan; Flagler County - Flagler Beach, Palm Coast, Beverly Beach, Bunnell; Baker County - Macclenney, Glen St. Mary; Putnam County - Palatka, Interlachen; Columbia County - Lake City, Fort White; and in other parts of Florida as requested or necessary.  We are a participating attorney in the AARP Legal Services Network.