August 15, 2016
Elder Care Attorney in Michigan, What do They Do?
What does an elder care attorney in Michigan actually do? Many people are familiar with estate planning, but what does an elder care or elder law attorney in Michigan actually do to help families? Great question. But first, you need to know that not all elder care or elder law attorneys are the same. There is actually a designation that is very important for you to know about. That designation is the Certified Elder Law Attorney designation.
You see, any lawyer can say they do estate planning, elder law or elder care in Michigan. But there is only one designation that signals to you, the client, that the person you are dealing with are certified (truly the gold standard) when it comes to estate planning and elder law. That designation is the Certified Elder Law Attorney designation (CELA). These attorneys are peer reviewed, experienced, and must pass an exam on estate planning, elder care, and elder law. Currently there are 19 in Michigan and only one in the county of Livingston and 500 across the whole nation.
With that out of the way…
What Does an Elder Care Lawyer in Michigan Do?
Estate planning attorneys are only focused on what happens when you pass away, where does your stuff go and avoiding probate. If you have a taxable estate they may counsel you on estate tax issues. An elder law lawyer does all that and more including planning for what happens if you don’t pass away and continue to age and face all the issues that go along with aging.
Elder Care Attorneys Help with Medicaid Planning
If you have a loved one who is needing nursing home care, you can pay $11,000 per month until you run out of money and can qualify for Medicaid….or you can work with an elder law attorney who can help you protect that money so that you can receive better quality of care and if you’re a married couple, ensure that the healthy spouse is not impoverished paying for the spouse that needs care.
Elder Care Lawyers Help with VA Benefits Aid and Attendance
If you have a loved one who is needing home care or living in an assisted living in Michigan, then a Michigan elder law attorney can help you bring in the VA Benefit at, up to, $2,120 per month, tax free if the loved one is a veteran or surviving spouse of a veteran. VA Aid & Attendance is a confusing area of law that should be left to VA Accredited Certified Elder Law Attorneys.
Michigan Elder Care Lawyers Help with Estate Planning
Michigan elder law attorneys also help with estate planning, including wills, trusts, financial powers of attorney, medical powers of attorney and the preparation of deeds (including lady bird deeds). So, elder law attorneys do estate planning, but estate planning attorneys do not do elder law. Wouldn’t you want to work with an attorney that is not only planning for what happens if you pass away, but also what happens if you don’t? That’s what elder law attorneys do, plan for your life as well as what happens upon death.
Learn How a Michigan Elder Care Lawyer Can Help You
Take the next step and register for one of our free, fun, fast paced, weekly LifeCare Planning Workshops Planning Workshops to learn how a Michigan elder law attorney can make a difference in your family by protecting you from probate, the IRS, law suits, and the devastating cost of long-term care costs.