Elder law is what estate planning becomes when the questions get urgent. It covers paying for long term care without losing the house, qualifying for Virginia Medicaid, protecting a spouse who is still at home, and stepping in legally when a parent can no longer manage money or medical decisions.
Most families arrive here in the middle of something. A discharge planner has said the word rehabilitation. A facility is charging more per month than a parent earns in a year. Someone has just realized that a power of attorney signed in 1998 may not be enough.
The articles below cover what Virginia families ask about most: Medicaid eligibility limits and the five year look back, what estate recovery can reach after death, when an irrevocable trust helps and when it is the wrong tool, and the difference between a power of attorney and a guardianship.
Timing matters more in elder law than in almost any other area. If you are facing a placement or an application now, our Medicaid planning and asset protection services explain how we help.
