When it comes to ensuring that you and your loved ones are well taken care of as you age, you don’t want to leave anything to chance. Working with an experienced elder law attorney can provide you with the insight and planning you need to make sure that your financial security and long-term care options are appropriate for your needs.
Robert M. Goldberg is an elder law attorney in Atlanta with more than 25 years of experience helping individuals prepare and plan for their sunset years and he can do the same for you. Contact our firm today to request your elder law review.
How Can Our Elder Law Team Help You?
Our holistic approach focuses on the needs of older adults, which are different and more specialized than those of younger adults. From estate planning services and help making assisted living arrangements to protecting assets from the cost of long-term care, we help our clients transition through their sunset years with confidence.
- Get help with Medicaid asset protection planning and application
- Understand the importance of estate planning and creating a will
- Create a durable power of attorney and advance healthcare directives
- Get assistance with VA pension planning and application
- Get help with guardianship and conservatorship
Contact us today to request a review with our experienced elder law attorney.
What Is Elder Law?
Elder law is a unique area of legal practice that focuses on issues that pertain primarily to the aging population. A skilled elder law attorney offers a wide variety of legal services that can help you plan for both your known and unknown needs in the future, offering freedom and autonomy through financial planning and exploring long-term care options. In other words, elder law allows you to plan for your financial and medical needs as you age and our team can help make sure no detail is overlooked.
Why Should I Hire an Elder Law Attorney?
This is a question we receive quite frequently. While there are many DIY programs out there that help you navigate complex legal issues, your financial security and long-term care options are factors that deserve the care and attention of an experienced professional. Hiring an elder law attorney to help you plan for the future is beneficial for several reasons.
First, a skilled attorney has the knowledge and experience to assess your unique situation and needs to recommend a care plan that covers all bases. No two situations are the same and you may not need the same type of long-term care as your spouse or your neighbor. An elder law attorney can help you determine the best course of action for your individual needs.
An attorney can also help you understand your long-term care options. The world of long-term care can be difficult to understand, making it challenging to know which type of care is right for you. Additionally, long-term care is quite expensive. An experienced attorney can help you figure out how you can pay for the care you need without bankrupting yourself.
Beyond planning for your long-term care needs, an elder law attorney can help you protect your assets to ensure that you meet all of the requirements to qualify for Medicaid. They can also help you draw up an estate plan that ensures your assets are handled properly and managed legally after your passing.
Our Legal Services for Elders in the Atlanta Area
When it comes to your future, you need an attorney on your side who can guide you through important decisions and create the optimal plan for you and your family. At Goldberg & Associates, our attorneys provide a wide range of legal services to senior citizens in the Atlanta, GA area.
Guardianship & Conservatorship
A conservator or a guardian is an individual who is legally responsible for a person who cannot manage his or her assets and affairs. Our attorneys offer services to help you make critical guardianship and conservatorship decisions.
Goldberg & Associates can help you:
- Choose a trusted loved one to serve as your Power of Attorney
- Create a plan on what to do if you ever become incapacitated
- Create a living will or an advance healthcare directive or a set of instructions about your own medical care
- Identify a guardian or conservator, or explore alternatives to guardianship and conservatorship
As we age, the risk for incapacitation through illness, injury, or cognitive decline grows, which is why it is important to plan ahead and choose a trusted individual who can act in your best interests. You will need to make a series of careful decisions to ensure that your rights are protected.
Estate Law
Estate planning is one of the most important activities for Atlanta seniors. Our firm provides estate law services to help you manage your estate or plan for how you will divide your assets and debts after you pass away.
No one likes to think about what will happen following his or her death. However, handling these matters in advance can alleviate a lot of stress for your family members and ensure that your affairs are managed in the way that you choose.
Our firm can help you navigate several important factors related to your estate plan:
- Creating a will
- Naming beneficiaries
- Identifying a Power of Attorney
- Creating documents like advance medical directives
- Managing your life insurance policies
- Establishing trusts for the benefit of certain family members
- Determining how to divide your assets and debts
- Understanding your taxes or allowances
Estate planning provides solutions to several concerns that may be raised following your death. Avoid leaving your family with complex matters and work with Goldberg & Associates to finalize the details of these important considerations.
Probate
Probate can be a complex process, but the attorneys at Goldberg & Associates make it simple. The process of probate involves dividing a person’s estate following his or her death according to the terms outlined in his or her will or estate plan.
After you pass away, the last event you want to happen is for your family to be embroiled in a complex property dispute. Our attorneys can help you make critical decisions related to your estate so that you can streamline the administration process.
We can help you:
- Determine whether you owe any estate taxes
- Plan for how to pay for your debts following your death
- Manage your estate’s finances
- Arrange for an appraisal of your property
- Prepare documents that may be used by probate court
- Create a plan for the distribution of your assets
- Explore alternatives to probate in Georgia
Hospice Care
When it comes to your medical care, you need to make tough but well-informed choices. If you are living with a terminal illness, you may want to transition to hospice or palliative care. Instead of focusing on curing the condition, hospice care focuses on providing comfort and care as you near the end of your life.
The attorneys at Goldberg & Associates can help you make critical decisions related to hospice care and other end-of-life plans. We can help you explore all of your options related to both long-term and hospice care facilities, ensuring that your transition is as comfortable and safe as possible. By working with our firm, you can make comprehensive and well-informed decisions for this critical care.
We provide several services to help Atlanta seniors navigate their hospice decisions. In addition to exploring your options, we can work with you to identify which forms of care that you or a loved one may require. Our firm can also help you understand your Medicare or Medicaid benefits and plan for end-of-life care in advance of a terminal diagnosis.
Veterans’ Benefits
Military veterans are entitled to additional benefits as a thank you for their service to our country. At Goldberg & Associates, we help Atlanta seniors ensure that they receive the veterans’ benefits that they deserve.
There are many types of benefits that a veteran can receive, including healthcare benefits, pensions, and attendance and aid if you are bedridden. Additionally, veterans may also be entitled to nursing home services or adult daycare, which can support service members with long-term care needs.
If you are a former military member, our attorneys can help you:
- Learn about the benefits that you are entitled to receive
- Explore different disability programs and benefits
- Calculate the full cost of the benefits that you should receive
- Speak to the agency in charge of administering veterans’ benefits on your behalf
- Explore alternative options for benefits if you are denied access
- Evaluate your military service records, income, and family resources
Nursing Home or Assisted Living Facility Selection
It can be difficult to choose the right long-term care home. At Goldberg & Associates, our attorneys can support you with nursing home or assisted living facility selection, helping you select the best option for yourself or a loved one.
There are many nursing homes and assisted living facilities operating in the Atlanta area, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. When it comes to where you live during your golden years, you need a home that fits your physical, medical, and social needs.
Our firm can help you explore different assisted living communities in your area and find the right community for you. If you have special health requirements, we can work with you to identify facilities that can meet your needs.
How Can I Get Long-Term Care for My Loved One?
Whether you are caring for your spouse or your parent, you want what is best for them. However, the cost of care can come as a tremendous shock and it often becomes unaffordable quickly. Our Atlanta elder law attorney can help. We’ll walk you through assessing your situation so that we can help you discover solutions for your unique needs. Whether you have questions about how to find a quality nursing home or coordinating care, we are here to assist. Allow our experienced elder law attorney to help you enjoy peace of mind while arranging care for your loved one.
What Kind of Planning Can I Do in Advance?
The sooner you turn to an elder law attorney, the easier your planning will be. The Medicaid eligibility rules have gotten stricter in recent years, allowing those who plan ahead to work through these rules with confidence. Planning ahead allows our clients to decide which insurance and care plan will be in their best future interests.
However, in a crisis, we are still here to help. As elder law attorneys, we will ensure your loved one enters a reputable and caring nursing home while assisting you with a plan for the bills.
Why Is Estate Planning and Creating a Will Important?
No one likes to think about their mortality, and it is certainly not enjoyable to think about how our loved ones will move forward without us after our passing. However, estate planning and creating a will are important tasks to consider to ensure that your loved ones don’t have to worry about financial hardship in the face of grief. Working with an estate planning attorney can help assuage many concerns, including how to:
- Avoid the cost and inconvenience of probate for your spouse and children
- Have confidence that your wishes will be carried out if you are unable to make legal, financial, or health care decisions for yourself
- Make sure your wealth, possessions, and other assets end up in the right hands after your passing
- Create financial security for your care needs without bankrupting yourself
- Provide for disabled children after your passing
- Ensure the legacy you leave behind is the one you desired and intended
Reach Out to Our Elder Law Attorney
Don’t see the answer to your question here? If you have additional questions about elder law as it pertains to your unique needs, don’t hesitate to give us a call and tell us about your situation. From there, we’ll let you know if we believe we can help. With more than 25 years in the industry, the Robert M. Goldberg & Associates team has the experience and dedication necessary to ensure you reach the best possible outcome. Get in touch now to get started — we look forward to hearing from you.