As time passes, baby boomers, as well as the generations that follow them, will face many serious choices related to retirement planning and elder care. An elder law attorney can help you make the right decisions that apply to your own future and to the care of your loved ones.
FindLaw's Lawyer Directory is the largest online directory of attorneys. Whether you need to connect with a general estate planning attorney or talk about more complicated legal matters related to elder law, the attorneys on this list can help you with your legal needs.
Use FindLaw to hire a local elder law attorney to assist with issues related to:
Elder care transactions and planning
Social Security retirement benefits and other Social Security topics
Medicare and health insurance/health care issues
Medicaid planning and other forms of asset protection
Retirement planning
Long-term care planning (which may involve nursing home care or assisted living facility options, or potentially home care)
Estate planning
Special needs planning
Powers of attorney and advance directives (sometimes called a living will or medical directive)
Elder law attorneys are also able to help you protect elderly family members from issues such as elder abuse and financial scams that target elderly victims. A lawyer can help you determine whether this should involve a conservatorship or other type of protective measure.
Consider the following when deciding which law firm to hire for your elder law matter:
Comfort Level - Are you comfortable telling the lawyer personal information? Does the lawyer seem interested in providing legal advice and solving your problem?
Credentials - How long has the lawyer been in practice? What practice areas does the lawyer handle? Has the lawyer worked on other elder law cases similar to yours?
Cost - How are the lawyer's fees structured - hourly or flat fee? Can the lawyer estimate the cost of resolving your legal issues?
City - Is the lawyer's office conveniently located?
It is always a good idea to research your lawyer prior to hiring. Every state has a disciplinary organization that monitors attorneys, their licenses, and consumer complaints. By researching lawyer discipline you can:
Ensure the attorney is currently licensed to practice in your state
Gain an understanding of his or her historical disciplinary record, if any.
Determine the seriousness of complaints/issues which could range from late bar fees to more serious issues requiring disciplinary action.
