Harriet Roland is an active member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, and served as chair of the Elder Law Section of the Nevada State Bar. She is a frequent lecturer to the bar on Elder Law issues, and has co-authored many educational materials on the subject.

Elder Law is an expansive are of practice, covering all aspects of legal matters pertaining to aging and illness. Because the area is so broad, and the sub-fields are so specialized, our firm has elected to practice in just a small part of the elder law arena, focusing on adult guardianships and the very difficult area of Medicaid eligibility for long-term care.

Guardianship is the court-supervised process of administering an incapacitated person's affairs. The incapacitated person is called the 'ward'. Guardianships may be for limited purposes, or they may be 'general'. The Guardian is accountable to the court for every penny of the Ward's money, and cannot make major decisions or investments for the Ward without court approval.

Because of the broad authority which a Guardian is given over an incapacitated person's affairs, many protections are built into the system. A doctor's certificate must be provided to prove incapacity. Family members and other interested persons must be given notice of the court proceeding and an opportunity to object. The family court judges are very kind and understanding of the incapacitated person's disability, and the proceeding is as compassionate and short as possible. Often the family members and the elderly person need not attend the court hearing.

Most of the time, a guardianship is necessary to achieve maximum asset protection for the stay-at-home spouse of a potential Medicaid recipient. Our professional office staff will handle as much of the guardianship work as necessary, including the court filings, the accountings, and even preparation and filing of the Medicaid application.

We can assist a family with long-term care placement of an elderly person, as well as advise on the options for payment of nursing home or other long-term care expenses. The initial consultation is by necessity very detailed, and we provide a comprehensive evaluation of the assets and income which will determine Medicaid eligibility and the need for a guardianship. For elderly persons whose families are out-of-state or who cannot agree upon a legal guardianship, we can provide assistance with guardianship duties, including the sale of property that is no longer needed.

Veterans of the armed services have special guardianship needs, and our office is uniquely situated to assist.

Our experienced staff will assist you in determining what information to bring to the consultation.