If you based your assumptions about lawyers from what you see on TV, you might assume that all lawyers are wealthy, drive expensive cars, wear expensive suits, work in high-rise offices and spend a great deal of time carrying a brief case in one hand while talking on a cellphone with the other hand.
You might also assume that on any given day, they might bail a criminal out of jail, interview potential jurors in a personal injury case, help an inventor get a patent on her invention, handle a contested divorce and then attend a fundraiser for the local museum. They might even help solve a crime somewhere in there.
The truth is that TV is make-believe. TV lawyers are no more realistic than TV doctors or TV nurses. Most attorneys focus their work in select areas of specialization. Billboard lawyers handle accident cases for example. They don’t work in divorce or criminal defense at all. Immigration attorneys, bankruptcy attorneys, and real estate attorneys spend their days working for clients with those needs. You want an attorney who is “fluent” in the area where you have a need too. You don’t necessarily want the lowest bidder or else you get exactly what you are paying for. It is called a law practice but you don’t want to be some attorney’s first client in an area of law where she is unfamiliar. No one wants to be practiced upon!
Elder Law attorneys help seniors and help the senior’s adult children with a wide variety of needs. Our focus is on the senior- what are their needs now and what are their anticipated needs in the future? How can plans put in place now make their life easier and more affordable for the rest of their life? What benefits are available for them? Can we increase their income? Can we reduce their expenses? Can we make sure that elder financial abuse is not a problem? Is it possible to avoid probate at death? Is it possible to protect their life-savings from the devastating costs of nursing-home care?
Elder Law attorneys work with other providers in the medical and social services fields to help seniors. There is Fantasy Football, where you get to build your dream-team of football players. Taking care of seniors also involves building a dream-team, but the players include elder law attorneys, MDs, Social Workers, caregivers and various agencies such as Alzheimer’s of Central Alabama. Some of the areas where seniors (and their adult children) need help might include:
- Daily money management
- Reverse mortgages
- Investments
- Fiduciary services
- Estate Planning
- Wills
- Powers of Attorney
- Healthcare directives
- Guardianships
- Conservatorships
- Home healthcare
- Caregiving
- Care Management
- Long-term care insurance
- Alzheimer’s care
- Dementia care
- Medicaid
- Veterans Benefits (VA)
- Probate
Elder Law attorneys work with realtors, social workers, caregivers, financial advisors, CPAs and other professionals, to help you as your role of “family caregiver” continues to evolve. There is absolutely no reason to “go it alone” when there are people, in your area, with years of experience handling situations like you are facing. We do this all the time, so call us. The call and the meeting are both free of charge!