Elder law focuses on legal situations that most commonly affect people in their older years. Sometimes this involves problematic incidents that have occurred and other times the need for legal representation is more of a formality. For example, a person might seek help from an Elder Law Attorney Auburn Indiana in regard to estate planning. This individual might want to set up a trust or create an iron-clad will that nobody could succeed in challenging. The client may still be in excellent health, but wants to take reasonable steps for the future.
In fact, an elder law attorney may even help a client with retirement planning and decisions about when to start receiving Social Security retirement benefits. A person in his or her late 60s may wonder whether to start receiving benefits now or wait until age 70, which is the latest age for starting these payments.
Another client may have received a diagnosis of a chronic health disorder that may eventually cause the need to move to a nursing home. This person may want information about transferring real estate to adult children. Otherwise, the nursing home essentially can force the sale of the real estate to pay for the room or apartment and full-time nursing care. This must be done far enough ahead of time for the transfer to stand legally, and there are other requirements as well. For example, the adult child must have been living in the house for at least two years prior to the transfer. An Elder Law Attorney Auburn Indiana is often necessary to fully explain all these complicated factors. Browse website for more information.
An Elder Law Attorney Auburn Indiana can help families with other aspects affecting a disabled older relative. For instance, this relative may need a conservator to manage his or her finances upon moving to the nursing home. The relative is likely to choose an adult son or daughter, but might decide on someone who is not even a family member. The family may want the attorney to contest this decision if they believe the non-relative is preying on their elderly parent for the ability to siphon off money from accounts.
An organization such as Thomas Law Firm PC in Auburn Indiana can help elderly individuals and their families with these and other issues that tend to affect people as they reach a certain age.