• Disability planning, including use of durable
powers of attorney, living trusts, and
living wills, for financial management and
health care decisions, and other means of
delegating management and decisionmaking
to another in case of incompetency
or incapacity
• Conservatorships and guardianships
• Nursing home issues including questions
of patients’ rights and nursing home quality
• Estate planning, including planning for the
management of one’s estate during life and
its disposition on death through the use of
trusts, wills and other planning documents.
• Probate
• Administration and management of trusts
and estates
• Long-term care placements in nursing
home and life care communities
• Elder abuse and fraud recovery cases
• Housing issues, including discrimination
and home equity conversions
• Age discrimination in employment
• Retirement, including public and private
retirement benefits, survivor benefits, and
pension benefits
• Health law & mental health law
FINDING AN ATTORNEY
Hiring An Attorney
Do you need an Elder Law Attorney? Ask
yourself:
“Do I have the legal knowledge and resources to
resolve my legal issue myself?”
If the answer is NO, then the following
questions will help you in your search.
Call First - Questions to Ask
Once you have a list of one or more lawyers,
call their offices and briefly explain your
situation. You may not get to speak with the
attorney, but you should still ask the following
questions before scheduling an appointment.
• Does the lawyer have experience with your
kind of problem and how long have they
been practicing Elder Law?
• Does the lawyer charge for an initial
consultation and, if so, how much?
• If your problem is routine, does the lawyer
have a standard fee? What does it cover?
• If your problem appears more complicated,
ask about how fees work. Is there a standard
fee or hourly charge?
• Does the lawyer have a written document
describing fees and services provided?
Consultation/Interview - Be Organized
It is important to have with you a written
summary and/or detailed notes outlining your
problem. Have the names, addresses, phone
numbers, documents, paperwork, and all other
pertinent information that you need so the
lawyer can review them, if needed, at the time
of your appointment. You may need to drop off
the information in advance so the lawyer can
review them before your appointment.
Questions to Ask At Visit
• Have you had experience with this type
of problem before? How recently? How
often? What was involved?
• What percentage of your practice is
devoted to this kind of problem?
• Will you personally be working on my case?
• Do you have an estimate of the cost to
resolve my situation?
• How do you handle payment for services?
And for expenses?
Legal & Financial
ELDER LAW
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