Elder Law Lawyer in California

Catering to the Unique Legal Needs of Senior Citizens and Their Families

Life expectancy has reportedly doubled over the last century and has continued to increase gradually in recent years. In the United States, census data shows that the life expectancy for the total population has increased by almost ten years, from 69.7 years in 1960 to 79.4 years in 2015. This pattern is expected to continue until at least 2060.

With Americans living longer, the increased need for legal services catering to the unique needs of senior citizens led to the creation of a relatively new practice area – elder law. But what exactly is different about elder law, and why should you work with an elder law attorney?

You can get answers about elder law and related practice areas when you contact the Sheela Stark Law Group, APC. Our elder law attorneys have provided a wide array of elder law services to clients in the Inland Empire and other areas of California for years. If you want to find out how an elder law attorney can make a difference in the life of an aging loved one, contact us for a free consultation with compassionate lawyers.

What Does an Elder Law Attorney Do?

Rather than focusing on a specific case type, elder law is a client-focused, specialty practice area that caters to the legal needs of senior citizens and their families. An elder law attorney’s primary goal is to help seniors navigate the legal and financial challenges associated with aging. These often include:

• Estate planning
• Long-term care planning
• Conservatorships
• Guardianships
• Special needs trusts
• Elder abuse
• Social Security
• Medi-Cal planning
• Medicare

An experienced elder law attorney is also well-versed in retirement planning, pensions, and other financial matters, so seniors and their family members should reach out for legal guidance any time they’re uncertain about important aspects of their future.

Simply put, Los Angeles elder law lawyers can handle a variety of issues that might affect senior citizens as they age, as they’re committed to protecting their rights and improving the lives of clients and their families. If you’re looking for a legal guide and ally as you plan for your future, call our Southern California law firm for the elder law services you need.

Can California Elder Law Lawyers Help with Estate Planning?

Estate planning is one of many areas our elder law lawyers are proficient in, as we have the legal resources necessary to put seniors on the path toward meeting their estate planning goals. A skilled elder law attorney can guide clients through all aspects of estate planning – from the basic steps of creating a will and an advanced healthcare directive to creating trusts and planning for long-term care.

Even if you have a modest estate without many assets, you should consider getting legal help with estate planning in order to protect what you have. Creating a last will or living trust as part of your estate plan will ensure you have a written record of which loved ones get the assets you wish to leave them after your death. An estate plan can also identify who has the legal right to make health care decisions for you if you’re ever incapacitated due to illness or injury.

Without an estate plan in place, these crucial decisions will be left up to the state based on the laws the local courts must follow. This means your assets will be distributed in accordance with state probate laws rather than your personal preferences. An elder law lawyer can create estate plans customized to the needs of each client, so contact our law firm today if you’re considering making a will, revocable living trust, power of attorney, or other common estate planning options available to you.

Can an Elder Law Lawyer Help Me Become a Conservator for a Loved One?

If you have a loved one who is struggling with the effects of aging or has been diagnosed with a debilitating disease such as Alzheimer’s, you may be considering petitioning the court to be appointed as your loved one’s conservator. This would give you the legal authority to handle all important affairs that affect their life. Being a conservator is a sizable responsibility, and it may be worth discussing with an elder law attorney to understand whether this is truly the right choice for you and your loved one.

A California elder law attorney can explain your options and then help prepare the necessary paperwork and supporting documents to submit to the court. Judges are typically hesitant to appoint someone as a conservator to another person unless the proposed conservator can prove that doing so is really in the best interest of their loved one. For this reason, building a strong case is key for a successful petition. An elder law attorney can assist you with the process of filing for a conservatorship successfully, so call our law office today for an initial consultation with our experienced team.

What If I Need Help with Medi-Cal Planning or Nursing Care?

In California, the median cost of a semi-private room in a long-term care facility such as a nursing home is just under $8,000 a month. It can even be upwards of $11,000 a month in some areas, including many parts of Los Angeles. As a result, many families find themselves overwhelmed and unsure of what to do once they realize their loved one will need to go to an assisted living home.

What they may not realize is that an elder law attorney can help them plan for long-term care. Ideally, clients should consult with an elder law attorney long before a healthcare crisis arises. At that time, the attorney can analyze the client’s financial situation and make suggestions to help them afford long-term care without depleting their estate assets.

However, it is very common for families to reach out to an elder law attorney while they are right in the eye of the storm and need to find a solution for their loved one’s long-term care needs. An attorney from our firm can help navigate Medi-Cal benefits and apply for assistance while offering sound advice on ways clients can protect their loved one’s assets.

We understand you might be concerned about whether your loved one will be eligible for the Medi-Cal benefits they need to pay for long-term care, so we’re happy to go over your options with you. Our Medi-Cal planning services include identifying exempt and non-exempt assets when applying for Medi-Cal and finding solutions to potential eligibility roadblocks. So, whether you want to avoid a future financial crisis or need a solution to help pay for long-term care now, we urge you to contact a California elder law attorney from our firm to learn your options as soon as possible.

Can an Elder Law Attorney Help Me Find a Nursing Home for My Family Member?

Another service an elder law attorney can offer is helping families find and place their loved ones in a nursing home. For many, it may come as a surprise that an attorney would assist them with the process of finding a suitable home for their elderly family member since it doesn’t exactly involve complicated legal issues. However, a trusted lawyer can not only suggest adequate nursing facilities, but also assist with all other aspects of securing long-term care for clients’ family members.

For example, your attorney can assist in researching facilities in the area and guide you and your family through the various types of care available in each facility. They can also review the policies and procedures of a particular facility to ensure that it is an appropriate choice. Additionally, an elder law attorney can provide you and your family with information on financial assistance options for long-term care, such as Medi-Cal or Medicare, and help them put together the necessary documentation for applying for assistance.

Because the cost of assisted living homes throughout California tends to be expensive, an elder law attorney can provide guidance on how to cover these expenses by using their estate planning knowledge. For example, they can help the family set up a trust, apply for Medi-Cal and other benefits, or consider additional estate planning tools to help with the cost of nursing home care. In addition, a California elder law attorney can provide advice on how to protect the elderly person’s assets while they are in a nursing home. If you have questions about finding and affording the right option for your loved one’s specific needs, call our law office to speak to a California elder law attorney about elder care planning in the Los Angeles area.

What Can an Elder Law Attorney Do to Help If I Suspect My Loved One Is Being Abused?

Unfortunately, not every person treats senior citizens with the respect they deserve, making elder abuse an all too common occurrence in California and across the country. Abuse can occur in a variety of ways, most often through violence, neglect, psychological abuse, or financial elder abuse. Abusers can be nursing home employees, family members, caretakers, and other people the senior citizen typically trusts.

If you believe your loved one is a victim of elder abuse of any kind and needs legal assistance, it is important to report the abuse to your local law enforcement authorities. You should also reach out to the elder law attorneys at the Sheela Stark Law Group, APC, for legal representation to protect your aging loved one.

Our California elder law attorneys can assist you with the steps needed to investigate the case, starting by identifying the type of abuse and the party who may be at fault for it. Our trusted California attorneys know what evidence is needed to prove that elder abuse has occurred, so you can count on us to gather medical records, videos, photos, witness accounts, police reports, and more.

We will do what it takes to protect your loved one and stop the abuse immediately. We will also help you determine if it makes sense to take action against the party responsible for the abuse in order to seek compensation on behalf of your loved one. If you suspect abuse, we urge you to seek our elder law services to protect your family member and get them the compensation they may be entitled to as a victim of abuse. Call our firm today to schedule a free consultation with a caring California elder law attorney.

Are You Ready to Hire a California Elder Law Attorney You Can Trust?

If you are looking for an experienced elder law attorney for your loved one in Southern California, look no further than the Sheela Stark Law Group, APC. Our California attorneys have been protecting clients and their families using a wide range of elder law services for years. Whether you’re planning now to help avoid family conflicts among future generations or need elder law services to resolve issues you’re facing today, a lawyer from our firm can assist you.

We offer free consultations to clients in need of all kinds of elder law services, including estate planning, trust administration, Medi-Cal planning, trust litigation, probate guidance, and more. For example, if you’re the personal representative in charge of a loved one’s estate after their death, we can assist with trust administration, the probate process, and other legal services that may be necessary. If you’re trying to plan your own estate and want to avoid probate and provide for vulnerable loved ones through a special needs trust, our disability law firm can help with this process.

No matter what specific elder law services you’re looking for, our attorneys would be happy to fulfill your legal needs as soon as possible. We understand the importance of protecting your family, including aging parents who need a care facility and children who count on you financially. If you’re ready to learn more about how we can assist with issues related to Medi-Cal planning, estate planning, and other practice areas, call 909-675-1545 for a free initial consultation with a trusted California elder law attorney.