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Elder Law Saginaw
Saginaw Elder Law Attorneys
At Shinners & Ellsworth PC, we are dedicated to helping Saginaw-area people deal with every aspect of elder law. Our attorneys have worked for years to educate people about the truth concerning senior citizens' legal situations, dispelling the many myths that plague this area of the law. There is a terrible gap between what the law actually is and what people believe the law to be. Misunderstanding runs rampant in this area. Most people do not take the time to consult a specialist in this area. Instead, they listen to their friends and believe that all hope is lost. Nothing can be further from the truth. People can pay for their care by proper planning. They can either be rich and spend their money; be poor and go on Medicaid; be insured and look at long-term care / stay at home insurance; or plan and put their house in order. This area of the law is not glamorous and highly publicized and therefore a lot of attorneys do not practice in this area. However, it is a very important area of the law because with appropriate planning we can save hundreds of thousands of dollars for our clients — even if a loved one is already in a nursing home.
With our attorneys’ deeply rooted compassion and understanding, our firm makes confronting even the most difficult issues as easy and comforting as possible.
Just a few of the more important areas we can help you with are:
- Medicaid Planning, Nursing Home Planning
- Incapacity Planning, Powers of Attorney, Patient Advocates, Living Wills
- Estate Planning, Trusts, Wills
Medicaid Planning, Nursing Home Planning: It is not necessary to drain your bank account or spend all your assets to put someone in a nursing home or plan for Medicaid. Without a good lawyer on your side, it is often difficult to sort through the truth, the many complexities and the myths about long-term care. Many people believe in the old notion that to protect their assets, they need to give away assets to family members at least three years before entering a nursing home. While this may be a good idea for some, it is not for everybody. First, there is no guarantee that the nursing home is the best option. Second, if gifting is done improperly, it may cause you to lose Medicaid benefits you might otherwise be entitled to. Gifting your assets without the assistance of an experienced Elder Law attorney is foolish and usually substantially limits your choice and quality of care.
A consultation with one of our Saginaw, Tri-City area attorneys at Shinners and Ellsworth PC can help you determine the best way to protect and enjoy your assets while preparing you for whatever the future holds. Even if a loved one has already encountered a disability and is facing difficult decisions today, it is usually not too late to plan and protect your assets.
Our lawyers have years of experience dealing with every issue related to senior care. We regularly secure home-based care and assisted living arrangements. Our attorneys can resolve any issue arising from nursing homes, from elder abuse to "bed wars." We are there to hold your hand through the entire nursing home / Medicaid process. We give your family peace of mind and save your family’s hard earned money that doesn’t need to be spent on the nursing home. If you are a senior citizen, or are simply concerned about your aging father, mother, grandfather or grandmother, know that you can trust us. (On our Articles page we have more information on Medicaid and Elder Law.)
Incapacity Planning, Powers of Attorney: Even if you or your loved one is not currently incapacitated, it is vital that such provisions be set up before the worst occurs. While it is always unpleasant to plan for incapacity through illness or an untimely passing, it is absolutely necessary. Our attorneys are here for you and your family; we deal with all sorts of end-of-life decisions, including health care powers of attorney, durable powers of attorney, conservatorships, guardianships, and more.
Estate Planning, Trusts, Wills: Like any good estate planning lawyer, we can help you establish a will, living trust, durable power of attorney, living will, special spousal annuity trust, etc. However, we can also you save thousands of dollars through many creative strategies available through the law, including gifting a portion of the estate, a special community spousal estate plan by planning for the unthinkable (when the well spouse passes first) or converting real estate to rental property to preserve the assets from the nursing home.
Most important, we are a thoroughly comprehensive resource for senior law, with a large network of counselors, social workers and health care resources at our disposal. At Shinners and Ellsworth, we are passionate about helping seniors in every way we can. It is more than a job for us; it is a calling. Our lawyers are active in the community championing the causes affecting seniors.
Because it is very important to us that people understand seniors' legal status, we offer free initial consultations to everyone needing legal advice. Contact us with any questions or concerns. Call 989-607-9408
