Elder Law... Key Questions

As noted in our previous post, when working with elders for estate planning purposes there are some areas where more detail is needed. To identify each eledrly client's key objectives, it is important to engage in a dialogue with the clients about their families, their work, their interests and hobbies.  Out of this discussion will emerge the client's major concerns and the goals for the estate planning process. 

Some areas that are typically top concerns for elderls may include:

·        Nursing home costs – do they have enough funds to pay for their care should they need it...

·        Planning for what would happen if they become incapacitated (who would help them, what are their wishes, etc.)

·        Where they want to live – do they want to stay in their home for as long as possible, or do they prefer to plan for an assisted living facility

·        How a healthy spouse would be protected financially if the other spouse needed to enter a nursing home facility

·        How to protect some assets for their children, no matter what their financial circumstances