St. Petersburg Elder Law Attorney

Seniors have a number of care and planning needs. An elder law attorney helps seniors and their families with any issue relating to their health and personal care planning. Families understandably may struggle to deal with these issues as they focus on their loved one’s well-being.

Contact an Elder Law Attorney Before Your Situation Changes

It benefits your family to have an elder law attorney early in the process, so you could get quick answers from someone who is familiar with your situation. An initial consultation in advance before issues arise will help you in the future. Denyse D. Kruse will get to know your unique circumstances and provide you with tailored legal advice.

A major issue for many families is how to get the long-term care that their loved one needs while still maintaining control over their assets. Then, when their family member is in a nursing home, the family may need help if the nursing home is failing to provide proper care. At the same time, the attorney could work to help ensure that the assets are properly passed down to the next generation.

It Can Be Too Late to Get Legal Help for Elders

While an elder law attorney could always help you with your current issues, there is such a thing as it being too late to get certain help. For example, the senior must have the capacity to sign a will or trust instrument. If not, the will could be found invalid. This is why advance preparation is so important. Much of estate planning and elder care is about executing plans put into place in advance. Additionally, Florida Medicaid has a five-year look back period. Unfortunately, families sometimes try a do-it-yourself Medicaid plan by giving away assets so that their loved one can qualify for Mediciad. If assets are improperly given away during the look-back period, the Senior is denied for Medicaid benefits and penalized by not being able to apply for Medicaid for a certain time period. This is why it is crucial to consult with an experienced elder law attorney before any planning is done.

Denyse D. Kruse can even assist you as you approach retirement or make major life decisions in your later years. For example, you may want to get remarried and are wondering how it will impact your estate plan. In addition, family members could also consult an elder law attorney if they have concerns about their parent’s capacity and ability to make their own decision. Denyse D. Kruse recognizes that these are very sensitive issues and will handle all of your matters with compassion in a way that preserves the senior’s dignity.

Experienced St. Petersburg Elder Law Counsel Helping Families

It is always helpful to have a relationship with an elder law attorney. Contact Kruse Law at (727) 256-4860 or reach out to us online with any legal questions or just to get advice on your particular situation.