The Most Common Questions Our Firm Gets About Elder Law

It’s not uncommon for people to wonder what to expect for their old age, and that’s where you might wish to speak with an experienced elder law attorney. While you may be preparing for retirement and your golden years, failing to take into account all of the possible circumstances that could alter your plans might have an unfavorable effect on your life. Hiring a Branson elder lawyer is one way you can ensure that all of the details are sorted, no matter what life throws your way.

Do you have questions about what elder lawyers do and how you can most effectively utilize their services? Below, we answer the most common questions we get about our elder law practice.

How Old Should I Be Before I Contact an Elder Law Attorney?

While you can contact an elder lawyer as early as you like, by age 60 you should have already begun planning with your Branson elder lawyer. The longer you wait, the more of a chance you have of something derailing your plans and impacting your retirement savings. We also recommend that you consider involving your children in multigenerational estate planning, once your children have reached the age of 30 years old.

How Do I Prepare for End-of-Life Care?

No one assumes that they will need dedicated, around-the-clock care in their old age, but unfortunately, those situations do happen. An elder lawyer will help you set up advance directives and a medical power of attorney, which includes important information about how you wish to handle life support, organ donations, and more. An experienced attorney should be able to help you identify whether you or your loved one setting up the plan are mentally competent enough to be able to make these important decisions.

How Much Will I Have to Prepare Before Our Meeting?

Many people go into a meeting with an elder lawyer without a specific sense of what they expect from their later years in life. A Branson elder lawyer’s role is to help address your concerns and streamline ideas around what you expect from your elder plan. It’s also their job to ensure that wherever you decide will work well for your estate plans and that your family is on board with your wishes. Some of the most common questions addressed in this initial meeting will include determining whether you have any veteran’s or government benefits that need to be considered, details on your life, health and property insurance policies, your anticipated retirement age, any underlying health issues that might impact your plans, and more. 

Would a Branson Elder Lawyer Also Assist with My Estate Plan?

It’s not uncommon for an elder lawyer to additionally help a client work out the details of your estate plan. A typical estate plan will consider the right steps to take to help clients avoid probate through the creation of trusts, minimize their tax obligations, and make preparations to pass their wealth on to their heirs. Intersecting this plan with your elder planning only maximizes the potential to have all of your bases covered.

If you don’t know where to begin, a Branson elder lawyer can help. Contact our offices today to get started.