Elder Law
At some point in our lifetime, we all need a little help and guidance. Lisa Katz helps people prepare for the time when they or their loved ones will face issues such as aging, incapacity, professional long-term care, and death.
Elder law encompasses all of the aspects of planning, counseling, educating, and advocating for seniors. It covers a broad spectrum of legal questions ranging from wills, trusts, and durable powers of attorney, to matters relating to devising a strategy to meet housing and independent living challenges, as well as long term care planning and the ability to effectively manage one’s own affairs, along with many other issues.
While good planning is important at all stages of life, it is a must for the elderly. The legal problems of the elderly are often linked to the aging process and can include problems of incapacity and long-term health care issues.
For many families, the cost of long term care is simply out of reach. In such cases, many families look to the Medicaid program for help. Planning, applying and obtaining Medicaid can be a daunting process with rules that change often. An elder law lawyer works with the local Medicaid workers to obtain financial help for an elder in need without impoverishing the rest of the family.
The legal issues are often intertwined with financial, emotional, personal, and physical ability or disability issues. An effective attorney-client relationship in the elder law context requires counsel to bring more than just legal expertise to the table. Elder law attorneys must also understand the aging process and be aware of some of the related medical issues and cognitive decline issues facing elders and the planning challenges these present, as well as be familiar with and able to work with the network of supportive and professional services and providers for the elder population. Most elder law attorneys also make home and health care facility visits when necessary, and they must be capable of dealing effectively with the ethical issues which can arise in the course of representing elders.
Elder law encompasses all of the aspects of planning, counseling, educating, and advocating for seniors. It covers a broad spectrum of legal questions ranging from wills, trusts, and durable powers of attorney, to matters relating to devising a strategy to meet housing and independent living challenges, as well as long term care planning and the ability to effectively manage one’s own affairs, along with many other issues.
While good planning is important at all stages of life, it is a must for the elderly. The legal problems of the elderly are often linked to the aging process and can include problems of incapacity and long-term health care issues.
For many families, the cost of long term care is simply out of reach. In such cases, many families look to the Medicaid program for help. Planning, applying and obtaining Medicaid can be a daunting process with rules that change often. An elder law lawyer works with the local Medicaid workers to obtain financial help for an elder in need without impoverishing the rest of the family.
The legal issues are often intertwined with financial, emotional, personal, and physical ability or disability issues. An effective attorney-client relationship in the elder law context requires counsel to bring more than just legal expertise to the table. Elder law attorneys must also understand the aging process and be aware of some of the related medical issues and cognitive decline issues facing elders and the planning challenges these present, as well as be familiar with and able to work with the network of supportive and professional services and providers for the elder population. Most elder law attorneys also make home and health care facility visits when necessary, and they must be capable of dealing effectively with the ethical issues which can arise in the course of representing elders.