| Elder Law
Elder Law is a conglomeration of traditional
areas of law which are related to each other and concern seniors. Elder
Law includes clients of all ages who have disabilities, life-threatening
illnesses, or who need advice regarding government assistance or tax planning
and families of such individuals.
Estate Planning
Talking about death or the possibility
that disease or an accident may leave you incapable of caring for yourself
can be unnerving, but it should not keep you from being prepared.
There are a multitude of Wills, Trusts,
and other estate planning tools. Peggi has invested many years of
study in estate planning so that she can benefit her clients. Peggi
analyzes each client’s situation, goals, needs and budget and then makes
recommendations tailored specifically to that client – “one size does not
fit all.”
Planning for Persons with
Disabilities
Disabled individuals who are medically
or physically already qualified for
government benefits (such as SSD, SSI,
Medicaid and Medicare) can lose benefits if they receive assets or income,
through inheritance or personal injury settlements.
Peggi helps protect or reinstate disability
benefits while benefiting her disabled clients with retention of their
inheritance, or personal injury recovery.
Medicaid Planning
Nursing homes are an expensive reality
for many elderly and disabled individuals.
Peggi helps clients and their families,
depending on their specific facts and circumstances obtain Medicaid assistance
without spending all of their assets by using special planning
strategies.
Estate Administration and Probate
Probate is a court supervised administration
to transfer assets from the decedent to his beneficiaries under a Will.
Non probate administration does not require court supervision to transfer
assets. Examples of non-probate administration are assets passing
under a Community Property Agreement, assets passing under a Trust, or
assets passing according to beneficiary designations.
Peggi assists clients with the estate settlement
process, either through the probate process or through non-probate
processes.
Guardianships
When an individual has significant problems managing his financial affairs or personal care, has not executed a Power of Attorney and lacks capacity to execute a Power of Attorney, a guardianship
may be considered.
Guardianships are generally allowed only
when an individual has a mental incapacity causing a significant risk of
harm. This must be evidenced by a demonstrated inability to manage
property or financial affairs, or a demonstrated inability to adequately
provide or arrange for one's nutrition, health, housing or physical safety.
Age, medical diagnosis, eccentricity, or poverty alone is not enough to
justify a guardianship.
Peggi helps clients establish a guardianship
to provide the day-to-day assistance that some incapacitated individuals
need. Vested with control over various aspects of the incapacitated individual’s
life, clients can maximize the incapacitated individual’s quality of life
through a support network of qualified professionals, friends and
family.
Elder Abuse
The National Center on Elder Abuse estimates
that there may be as high as 5 million cases of financial abuse annually
in the USA. Peggi helps stop the abuse, helps stop the depletion
of assets and helps provide a long-term solution to stop the contact between
the abuser and the abused. |
