Elder Law

Elder Law and Disability Attorneys

What is Elder Law?

Elder Law is the only area of law defined by the clients we serve rather than the areas of law in which we practice. Our services cover the gamut of almost every legal problem an elderly or disabled client may face. We like to deal “holistically” with our clients in talking about long-term planning for health care and financial stability, legal documents, Estate Planning, end-of-life decisions, personal values and personal preferences.

Our Tysons Corner, Virginia; Bethesda, Maryland; and Washington, D.C. Elder And Disability Law attorneys bring more to their practice than an expertise in their area of law. Our attorneys and staff bring knowledge of seniors and the disabled and the myths related to their issues including Medicare and Medicaid eligibility. We take into account and empathize with some of the true physical and mental difficulties that often accompany our clients. Our lawyers are familiar with professional and non-legal resources and services available both publicly and privately to meet the needs of the client.

Which Elder Law Attorney Is Right for Me?

Since the practice of Elder Law encompasses just about every legal issue a client may face, most Elder Law attorneys do not specialize in every one of these areas. One of our goals is to ensure that you get the required services or representation. If for any reason EDLC cannot respond to your need, we will refer you to the proper resource.

Our primary practice areas include:

• Estate planning, with full consideration of related issues including estate taxes, life insurance trusts, bypass trusts, marital deductions, beneficiary rights, living wills, simple wills, asset protection, Medicaid eligibility, financing of long-term care, and durable powers of attorney.
• Guardianships and conservatorships to enable family members or other responsible people to make decisions regarding the health care, finances, and other personal and legal issues of an incapacitated person.
• Medicaid eligibility, helping people plan how to pay for long-term care, how to qualify for Medicaid, how to tackle the Medicaid application process, what to do if a family member in need of care is denied Medicaid, how to best handle asset transfers and asset spend downs, and how to keep the house when one spouse needs long-term care.
• Nursing home admissions including exploration of options for financing long-term care, understanding residents’ rights, discharge rights, confidentiality rights, and grievance rights; selecting a nursing home, understanding right of choice about how residents spend their time and regular resident assessments involving family members acting as advocates.
• Trusts for the sake of asset protection, including revocable trusts, irrevocable trusts, irrevocable life insurance trusts, bypass trusts, unlimited trusts, testamentary trusts, and supplemental needs trusts.
• Probate administration and representation, including preparation and administration of simple wills, as well as intervention in cases of contested wills, executor removal, or inheritance disputes.
• Supplemental Needs Trusts, which are available to protect public benefits received by individuals with disabilities.

To schedule a consultation with one of our experienced Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., Elder and Disability attorneys, contact the Elder & Disability Law Center through this Web site, by phone at 202-452-0000, or by e-mail.