Board Certified Attorney in Elder Law

It can be overwhelming when a loved one requires skilled nursing.  One huge concern can be how the family will afford ongoing care in the nursing home. Under the right circumstances, Medicare can pay for at least a portion of the nursing home stay for a limited time.  Thereafter, Medicaid can help fund skilled nursing; however, there are precise rules the client must adhere to.

Our elder law firm can help the patient and family come up with a plan to achieve eligibility for Medicaid.  You can trust our attorney to prepare and file the application required to obtain Medicaid coverage for the patient’s ongoing skilled nursing.

There are several documents which should be part of someone’s estate plan:

• Last Will and Testament
• Durable Power of Attorney
• Designation of Health Care Surrogate
• Living Will
• Declaration of Preneed Guardian

Also, many estate planning clients are interested in revocable trusts and irrevocable trusts. 

Our elder law firm works with clients as they make decisions about their estate and formulate their estate plan, which our lawyer puts into action through drafting the necessary documents.

Probate is the court process of handling a decedent’s assets that were not owned jointly with anyone nor designated to a specific beneficiary.  Occasionally, a shortened administration can be used. Our firm can help a decedent’s loved ones negotiate the sometimes complex and confusing probate process.

Trust Administration – Many people desire a trust so that after their death, a successor trustee can distribute out the assets held in the trust without delay.  In actuality, the Florida Trust Code sets forth procedures and deadlines which a successor trustee is obligated to follow in administering the trust. Our elder law firm is here to aid a successor trustee who wants to be sure they are legally sound in handling the decedent’s trust.

Our elder law firm mainly handles guardianship proceedings for developmentally disabled individuals who are over 18 years of age. In order to legally make decisions and handle money for the developmentally disabled person, a parent or other loved one should be appointed as a guardian advocate. This process is less cumbersome and less expensive than regular guardianship. Under the right circumstances, the court may waive the filing of annual accountings and formal guardianship plans.