Elder Law

In Michigan, incapacity is determined by the probate court system through a specific filing process. This can be completed by a relative, professional guardian or any other interested person, who files a request for the court to determine the capacity of an alleged incapacited person. Additionally, the individual in question can file a petition with the court to have themselves declared incapacited. An incapacited individual is defined by Michigan Law as someone who is impaired by mental illness or deficiency, or physical illness, physical disability, chronic drug use or intoxication or any other cause that [...]

No one wants to think about the end of their lives, but it is something we have to face. Everyone will die eventually, and it is important to do as much planning as possible to ensure any final wishes are known and carried out. This is where final wills and other estate planning services come into play. Elder Law Office Services Can Make a Difference According to a recent Gallup poll, only 44% of Americans say that they had a will back in 2016, which was down from the 51% that said they had one [...]

As the world’s population ages rapidly, caring for elderly loved ones has become an important but daunting task for families and children of older parents. Elder care, as it is known, places a heavy burden on the most vulnerable families in the country, as they are usually the ones who cannot afford to pay for outside help and must therefore take the care into their own hands. This in turn takes time off their work, schooling and other important activities, stretching families to their limits and often creating extraordinarily stressful long term situations. This elder care [...]

Undue influence occurs when a person tricks, or pressures a friend, or family member into writing, or changing a will or trust document. Generally, this happens to elderly people. For example, a widow may meet with her attorney and establish an estate plan in her seventies. Her trust document divides her assets equally among her children.Sadly, one of the siblings “influences” mom as her mental capacity declines. Due to this pressure, mom meets with her attorney and rewrites the trust document leaving the majority of the estate to only one offspring. Basically, this disinherits the other [...]

Elder Care 101: A Guide to Elder Law - Finding the Right Elder Care Attorney According to research, 15% of parents in the US are also caring for an elderly adult. With the population of seniors at 47 million (and on its way to doubling), many people are either facing the incapacitating effects of old age or are responsible for caring for a senior person. In many of these cases, the services of an elder care attorney might be needed. These types of attorneys specialize in what is known as elder law. Understanding elder law and the areas where [...]

Resources for Senior Citizens in Livonia, MI As an experienced elder law, estate planning, and probate law firm, we regularly interact with many senior citizens and their families. These interactions provide us with unique insights on legal requirements and needs associated with the elderly population. We’ve prepared this page to provide information on various local resources for senior citizens located in the City of Livonia, MI. Continue reading to learn more. List of Free Elder Resources Below is a list of free senior citizen resources offered by the City of Livonia and certain non [...]

Resources for Senior Citizens in Plymouth, MI As an experienced law firm that practices in the areas of elder law, estate planning, and probate, we regularly deal with senior citizens and their families. As a result, we are very familiar with the unique needs associated with the aging population. This page provides information on resources for senior citizens in Plymouth, MI which is where our law firm is located. We hope you find these resources helpful. List of Free Elder Resources Below is a list of resources offered to senior citizens in Plymouth, [...]

What is Elder Law? One of the most common questions our law firm is asked at seminars or by clients or their families is “what is elder law?” Although this is a simple question, the complete answer is more in depth then you may think. With that said, the short answer to this question is, elder law is an area of law that specializes in the legal needs associated with aging. This article provides background on this area of law and describes legal issues that an attorney practicing in this area focuses on. Background Elder [...]

Due to the expense of nursing home care some people turn to Medicaid to pay the high costs. Of course, Medicaid has numerous rules and qualifications before this coverage kicks in. In fact, Medicaid has a “countable” asset limit of $2,000. In other words, a nursing home resident and/or spouse must “spend down” or pay for their care until they almost have no money left. Fortunately, an experienced attorney can guide families through various ways in setting up a medicaid trust, or another type of trust to safeguard some of their assets. So, it’s extremely important [...]

Legal Issues Involving Alzheimer’s & Dementia This article describes dementia legal issues as well as legal issues with similar conditions related to aging such as Alzheimer’s. Dementia is not a single disease, but a collective term used to describe various symptoms of cognitive decline that occur as part of aging. A person with dementia will present various symptoms that someone else or even themselves may notice. Early symptoms, which are as a result of memory loss include: Forgetfulness especially with language Disorientation Mood and personality changes Difficulty completing familiar tasks Misplacing things Problems with abstract thinking [...]

Elder Law Questions and Answers The purpose of this article is to provide answers to several common elder law questions. Many of these questions relate to nursing home planning, more specifically, costs involved with nursing homes and how to protect your assets while maintaining quality care. What is elder law? Elder law is a field of law that specializes in legal issues which affect senior citizens. Elder law planning covers quite a few topics; but, there are a few key areas which routinely fall under its jurisdiction, namely health care, financial needs, and relationship [...]