Learn About Elder Law Attorneys

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Elder Law Attorneys specialize in assisting senior citizens and their families with specific senior legal issues, such as estate, financial and tax planning, the preparation of medical directives, insurance and nursing home contracts, and eligibility requirements for programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and SSI disability.

What is an Elder Law Attorney?

An Elder Law Attorney specializes in issues affecting the elderly, or provides eIder law services as one type of law he/she practices. The National Elder Law Foundation created a certification program to identify those lawyers who have the enhanced knowledge, skills, experience and proficiency to be certified Elder Law Attorneys.

What services do Elder Law Attorneys provide?

Elder Law Attorneys counsel and represent older persons about the legal.jspects of health and long term care planning, public benefits, surrogate decision making, legal capacity, conservation, estate planning and age discrimination.

The Center for Elder Rights Advocacy, supported by a grant from the Administration on Aging, offers a database of legal hotlines. On their website, you can look up information on senior legal hotlines in your state.

Area Agencies on Aging can help find legal aid for older persons who want to know more about their public benefits; who have been denied a benefit that they think they're entitled to receive; whose benefits have been reduced or stopped; or who have legal issues involving elder rights, consumer scams, or housing.

What should I look for in an Elder Law Attorney?

As in selecting any other professional, it is always a good idea to ask a trusted friend or a professional in a related field for a referral to an Elder Law Attorney. Before you meet or call an attorney, you may wish to print out copies of GetCare's Elder Law Attorney checklist, which provides detailed questions to help you to evaluate and compare attorneys.

The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys maintains a membership directory to help consumers locate Elder Law Attorneys.

How do I pay for an Elder Law Attorney?

Elder Law Attorneys' rates vary widely. Fees can be on an hourly basis, or there can be a flat fee for a specific service. Before meeting with an attorney, ask to see a fee schedule. Low-income elderly or disabled persons may qualify for free legal assistance.