In a recent article called “Planning for Eldercare” on the Long Term Care Link, it discusses how Elder Law Attorneys specialize in helping you and your loved ones plan for the future.

Many elderly persons rely entirely on their children, family members or other trusted individuals to help them. This dependence upon caregivers or family members makes an older person more vulnerable to abuse and financial exploitation. Legal arrangements and protective actions by family may be necessary to shield loved ones from making bad decisions or from being taken advantage of.

Adam Tobin, an Elder Law Attorney located in North Andover, Massachusetts specializes in may of your family’s needs. His firm offers estate planning services for estates of all sizes, planning to minimize Gift and Estate Taxes, the drafting and use of many different types of Trusts to maintain control and protect assets, business succession planning for small business owners, and retirement planning for individuals of all income levels. For further information please visit his site www.adamtobinlaw.com.

Another aspect in planning for the elderly are the complexities of laws and legal issues that may arise.

Elder law attorneys specialize in legal issues affecting the elderly. They are knowledgeable about Medicare and Medicaid programs. They work with the elderly in assisting them and their families with all aspects of estate planning and implementing necessary legal documents for the final years of life. In addition, they help individuals to apply for and possibly accelerate coverage from Medicaid. An elder law attorney can also help with disputes with Medicaid. Below is a partial list of what an elder law attorney might do:

• Preservation or transfer of assets seeking to avoid spousal impoverishment when a spouse enters a nursing home
• Medicaid qualification and application and Medicaid planning strategies
• Medicare claims and appeals
• Veterans Benefits claims
• Social security and disability claims and appeals
• Disability planning, including use of durable powers of attorney, living trusts and living wills
• Help with financial management and health care decisions; and other means of delegating management and decision-making to another in case of incompetence or incapacity
  Probate
• Administration and management of trusts and estates
• Long term care placements in nursing homes and assisted living
• Nursing home issues with patients’ rights and nursing home quality
• Elder abuse and fraud recovery cases

Adam Tobin also offers a large array of legal services which are listed on www.adamtobinlaw.com. In the ever changing landscape of Elder Law, as an elder law attorney Tobin will guide you through the complexities of Medicaid (MassHealth) laws; explain the options available to pay for home health care, assisted living and nursing home costs; assist you in qualifying for MassHealth benefits, and implement a plan to protect your assets from nursing home costs.

Two-way communication is the best way your attorney can understand your needs and concerns. Does the attorney listen to what you say, appear to really care about your concerns or return your phone calls? If not find another attorney. Most Elder law Attorneys sincerely want to help make you or your parent’s elder years a well planned for, peaceful experience for all involved.

The National Care Planning Council lists elder law attorneys throughout the United States.
To find someone in your area go to http://www.longtermcarelink.net/a2cfindattorney.htm

For more information the services that Adam Tobin has to offer, please visit his site at www.adamtobinlaw.com. For a free consultation email Adam at atobin@adamtobinlaw.com or call 978-725-9083.