Elder Law
In the United States as well as other placed in the world, elderly people are living longer as a result of advances in health care. With the aging of the baby boomers, the country is preparing to deal with one of its largest elderly populations ever. This has prompted more attorneys to turn to practicing what is called elder law. Elder law is practiced by attorneys who counsel and represent older people and act as their representatives in legal issues that concern the elderly.Getting Help with Elder Law
The elderly, and those who will be helping take care of an elderly relative or friend, should consider seeking help with elder law. There are many decisions that need to be made. It is helpful to have someone who understands all of your state’s laws to assist you with the decisions.
An elder law attorney can help with:
- Making a will
- Creating a living will
- Choosing a guardian in the event an elderly person becomes incapacitated
- Making pre-arranged funeral arrangements
Someone knowledgeable in elder law can also help with healthcare coverage issues and elucidate Medicare and Medicaid for clients. An elder law attorney can also help with housing and long-term care facility issues. Any problems with government benefits, such a social security, can be handled by an elder law attorney. Other types of benefits, like pensions, can be handled as well.
Basically, any type of legal documents that are of concern to an elderly person, or any legal problem specific to an elderly person, can be handled by an elder law attorney.
Qualifications of an Elder Law Attorney
There are no specific legal qualifications, other than being an attorney, which a lawyer needs to practice elder law. Although any practicing attorney can deal with elder law, many attorneys are making it their specialty.
When looking for an attorney experienced in elder law, make sure the attorney has a significant amount of experience in the following areas:
- Health and planning for long term care, including living wills
- Surrogate decision making, which helps you to make provisions for those who will be your power of attorney or guardian
- Government benefits like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid
- Estate planning, including wills, trusts, etc.
Attorneys can obtain certification from the National Elder Law Foundation. This certification shows that the attorney is highly experienced in elder law, but is not necessary for any attorney to practice elder law.
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