Elder Law and Special Needs Law focus on the needs of individuals approaching retirement age, or who have chronic health care conditions. Unlike a traditional estate planning firm, the focus is on living, not dying. Elder Law and Special Needs Law Attorneys look for ways to marshal your assets for the purpose of preserving your dignity, quality of life and independence as you age. We also identify public benefits to enhance your quality of life. If you are a caregiver, you might say our role is to help you take care of your mom or dad.
How do we plan? First, we ask a lot of questions. It's important that we understand your values and what's going on in your life. We want to know your concerns. We want to know your goals, dreams and ambitions for yourself and your family. We want to know your vision for a happy and fulfilled life. Our role is to serve as your advocate, and give you the best chance to fulfill your goals.
We also want to know what legacy you want to leave. Elder Law Attorneys do traditional estate planning after planning for your needs, so it is important that we understand how you want to organize your affairs, and what plans you want to implement for your children, grandchildren, or other loved ones.
What are some differences between traditional estate planning and elder law? First, we are advocates during your lifetime. One of our roles is to protect your values as you confront chronic health conditions. When your life seems to be spinning out of control, our role is to help you restore stability. We use education and planning to help you understand your rights, and to limit uncertainty. We answer your questions and help you resolve problems.
David L. McGuffey is a Certified Elder Law Attorney. Mr. McGuffey is also a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorney's Council of Advanced Practitioners. He is a member of the Special Needs Alliance. These groups are peer reviewed. Mr. McGuffey has the necessary experience to give you answers as you need them. Many answers are already on this website, among the pages describing our practice, on our articles page, or in our blog.
Certified Elder Law Attorneys understand that your family may be in the midst of crisis. You need to understand how to protect yourself or your loved ones. If you are married to someone with dementia (or another chronic condition), one of your questions might be how to get the best care for your spouse, but another is how to finance your own retirement needs. If you have a loved one with special needs, you might be concerned about protecting your loved one when you are no longer in the picture. If your loved one is unable to make decisions about his or her own care, how will you make sure they get the right help at the right time? A Certified Elder Law Attorney can help you answer these and other questions as you plan for the future.
If you are planning for your future, if you are planning for the future of a loved one who needs extra help, or if you just have questions, call us today. The Elder Law Practice of David L. McGuffey can help you address the challenges you are facing. Our goal is to provide peace of mind by delivering solutions to your problems.
