Floral Park, NY Estate Planning Attorney

Floral park residents often ask:

When should I consult with an estate planning or elder law attorney?

One of the most common estate planning and long term care planning mistakes is to assume that a plan is not needed, or that it’s too late or too early to plan. Talking to an estate planning and elder law attorney can help a person at any stage of life determine where to start.

Anyone that has reached adulthood (legally, when they turn 18 years old) should have an estate plan in place. When younger, a person with minimal assets and no children may only need a health care proxy and durable power of attorney. Their plan can be adjusted as their life develops and they get married, have children, and so on. When a person approaches their senior years, it is likely that a more comprehensive elder law plan would be appropriate. Read our guide on estate planning through all life stages.

As a person ages, the likelihood of needing assistance will increase. Certainly the possibility of incapacity increases, but even if capacity is maintained, it is possible a person may need assistance with managing their legal and financial matters and making medical decisions.

Further, the likelihood of needing physical assistance increases. Age, disability, and other health issues can make once routine tasks more complicated, and at times impossible. A long term care plan can help prepare for this transition period, and provide security in retirement.

Because long term care is a complex issue that combines concerns about healthcare, housing, finances, and estate planning, it can be easy to make simple mistakes with costly effects.

Creating a long term care plan, however, doesn’t have to be complicated. Esther Zelmanovitz and her team help Floral Park residents navigate long term care, to protect their resources and standard of care into their old age. As experienced elder law attorneys, they evaluate and discuss each individual’s options, and develop a custom tailored plan to achieve specific goals and objectives.

An elder law attorney can help a person not only with basic estate planning documents, such as a Last Will and Testament, Durable Power of Attorney, Health Care Proxy, and Living Will, but can also help clients preserve and protect their hard earned assets in the event they may need long term care or are already in need of care. An elder law attorney can assist clients, such as Floral Park residents, create and fund Medicaid Asset Protection trusts so that a person can qualify for Medicaid benefits to pay for their long term care whether living at home, in an assisted living facility, or in a nursing home.

A Last Will and Testament alone will not ensure that a person’s loved ones will receive their assets upon their death. Without planning using the proper advice and guidance of an elder law attorney, in the event long term care is needed, a person may have nothing left to distribute to their heirs under their last will and testament. Esther Schwartz Zelmanovitz, PLLC can help a Floral Park resident and all individuals across New York State plan to preserve their assets, get the long term care that is needed, and still have the orderly and successful distribution of a lifetime worth of assets upon the client’s death.

It is important to seek guidance from an experienced elder law attorney as early as possible because as a person ages, capacity may diminish and the need for care increases. Once crisis hits, some planning options may no longer be available resulting in greater cost and complications.