Elder Law

We provide solutions to the challenges of aging such as:

• Asset protection to ensure eligibility to government entitlements, if you desire.
• Family Caregiver Agreements
• We can act as your agent under a power of attorney or act as your guardian if you have no family or person you can trust. We have a fiduciary responsibility and a legal ethical duty to you.
• Wills and Trusts Specialized to Elder Needs
• Financial and Healthcare Power of Attorneys that Protect You
• Advanced Healthcare Directives / Living Wills
• Work in conjunction with accountants, financial planners and other professionals to maximize your financial or tax goals.
• Medicare / Medicaid Planning
• Long Term Care Planning with Insurance Products
• In-home Services Arrangements
• Incapacity Issues and need for guardianship if necessary

The Facts

As a population, we are living longer. Life expectancy is increasing and now averages around 77 years. As we age and our health declines, there are issues that we all must face. These issues carry costs that are often a burden to the individual and his or her family. The average cost to stay in a nursing home is $120,000 – 180,000 per year. It is most likely that health care costs will continue to rise disproportionately to inflation for a myriad of reasons. Due to lack of population growth, poor revenue growth and overspending, the likelihood is that government cuts to long term care are inevitable. This means people must be proactive in managing their care and be responsible for themselves and their family. We at Stone, Wiley, & Linsenbach can assist you in navigating and selecting the appropriate options that are currently available. We help families with difficult decisions and how to take care of elderly parents, if they have not done any pre-planning too. We know this can be difficult but we will do our best to help you.

At Stone, Wiley, & Linsenbach, we help individuals prepare for the challenges of aging by first doing the necessary pre-planning and estate and asset protection via appropriate financial and legal vehicles. It should be noted, if an individual does not possess these documents and becomes incapacitated, it is required that a legal guardian be appointed to protect the incapacitated individual and their assets, which could be more costly and someone you do not care for could be placed over you to manage your finances and health.

The Solution

If you are facing these issues or believe that you or your loved ones may have to deal with incapacity issues in the future, it is wise to seek legal counsel. Good stewardship demands an aggressive approach to asset protection, planning, and preparation. We will work closely with you, your family, and other professionals (if you want) to create a plan that best suits your needs. Whatever your choice, we have the knowledge, experience, and resources to provide you with the highest quality legal service. Please contact us with any questions or to schedule an appointment. We see our services as the key to living dignified senior years.