Elder Law

What is Elder Law?

Elder law is a practice specialty which focuses on assisting and representing seniors, people with disabilities, and their families. Attorneys who specialize in elder law represent these clients in legal matters such as estate planning and long-term care planning. Our teams at Gillespie Shields and Taylor practice elder law with a focus on quality of life for our clients. We approach elder law from a holistic standpoint, creating strategies to handle legal, financial, medical, and familial situations.

Typically, elder law is a broad practice that encompasses any or all of the following concentrations:

• Estate planning and probate. Creating a plan to protect, allocate, and manage your valuable property and assets, including wills, trusts, asset protection strategies, and probate.
• Estate and inheritance tax planning. Using a host of strategies to plan your assets and property so as to cut down on estate taxes.
• Retirement benefits. Managing and organizing retirement benefits and accounts such as pension plans and 401(k).
• Medical decision making. Establishing living wills and power of attorneys for medical decisions in the future.
• Further representation. Additionally, elder law can include the planning of long-term care facilities and financing and representing clients in elderly abuse or neglect cases.

By 2020, it is expected that the population of people over 65 will double, and there is a growing need for attorneys specializing in elder law. For seniors, what matters most are their quality of life and the security of their family’s future. They often need attorneys who can represent their needs accordingly.

A well-formulated estate plan will qualm any financial worries you may have by utilizing a slew of strategies to manage and protect your assets and property. Drawing up a will or creating a trust can be a stressful process. Consider letting experienced attorneys handle this difficult task for you. We ensure the individual needs of each and every one of our clients are met so they can rest assured that their assets will be handled appropriately, minimizing the risks of family disputes.

Estate Planning and Power Of Attorney

In addition to estate planning, our attorneys can also help you make tough decisions when it comes to medical care. Health care powers of attorney and living wills are strategy tools that allow you to provide instructions on how you want your medical care to be handled in the event of incapacitation. They are two different tools for two different sets of instructions: living wills allow you to dictate the type of medication and treatment you want in regards to certain medical issues, and health care POAs allow others to make decisions on your behalf concerning more serious issues, including ending life support if requested.

General POAs let you empower someone you trust to manage your financial and legal affairs. Such sensitive subjects necessitate a trustworthy and experienced team of attorneys who genuinely care about your quality of life and will represent you with tact and vigilance. Our attorneys at Gillespie Shields and Taylor are exceptionally experienced in elder law, and we care about the needs of our clients greatly.