Elder Law Attorneys Helping You Age On Your Own Terms
Our journey through life presents us with changes, detours, and challenges. As we get closer to the end of our journey, most of us will need to have some level of assistance to maintain our independence, and we need to plan to have options: whether we are aging in place, living in a retirement community, receiving care in a skilled nursing facility, or adult group home.
Creating Options
Van Winkle’s Trusts, Estates and Elder Law attorneys assist clients with preparing wholistic plans with a focus on possible long‐term healthcare needs. This may include, but is certainly not limited to, preparing to qualify for public benefits to pay for long‐term care, with an eye towards preserving and protecting assets, utilizing assets to support care needs, and accessing available community resources. We have a wide range of tools customizable to your specific needs to develop an individualized, long‐term healthcare strategy, including, but not limited to, powers of attorney, wills and trusts, special needs trusts, caregiver agreements, and real property transfers.
Qualifying for Public Benefits
When the need to qualify for public benefits arises, our attorneys provide full service assistance in determining what public benefits are available and appropriate, completing applications at a time and in a manner poised to achieve the best result, and resolving any issues which may arise until qualification is achieved. We prepare Medicaid applications, assist clients with any necessary asset protection and preservation strategies, and provide advocacy throughout the application process. We also advise veterans on the availability of VA benefits, and can provide advocacy in an appeal process if necessary.
Special Needs Trusts, Supplemental Needs Trusts and Settlement Preservation Trusts
Our attorneys are skilled at using a wide array of trusts to ensure our clients have access to the funds required for their support care needs and to ensure they can continue to enjoy their lives. We also assist trustees, beneficiaries, and settlors (or their fiduciaries) who need to modify or terminate irrevocable or special needs trusts based on changed circumstances.
