Our Mission at Law ElderLaw

February 2, 2017

- Adult Illness, Alzheimer's and Dementia, Asset Protection, Elder Law, estate planning, Financial Planning, General Interest

By estate planning attorney Rick Law. Rick is founder of the multi-generation law firm Law Elder Law in West Suburban Aurora, IL. Are you aware that a catastrophic illness could wipe out virtually all your financial resources? What will happen to you if you outlive your money? You can learn how to protect your life savings and your legacy during our free vision meeting. Call our office at 800-310-3100 to ask for more information or set up an appointment. At Law Elder Law, our mission is to help seniors protect their assets from unnecessary taxes, legal expenses, and the devastating cost of catastrophic healthcare or long-lasting nursing home fees. Our goal is to make sure your assets will last you a lifetime, and passed on to your loved ones in the most timely and cost-effective manner. You may be surprised to find that elder law attorneys are of a different breed than other lawyers. Not only are we familiar with professional resources for you and your loved ones, but we are also ready to provide you with many community resources to help meet your family’s needs. Serving over 400 Illinois families every year, we have walked this difficult road before and we understand the delicate situations that surround end-of-life planning. Come in and talk to us, we can help you along this path. Too many families needlessly lose everything they have. Don’t let that be you. If you need help paying the overwhelming cost of long term care, give our office a call at 800-310-3100. Your first consultation is absolutely free. We’ll let you know what steps you need to take, right now, to protect yourself and your family. Call now, because when you’re out of money, you’re out of options! Sincerely, Rick L. Law, Attorney, Estate Planner for Retirees. Rick has been named the #1 Illinois elder law estate planning attorney for the past 8 years in a row by Leading Lawyer Magazine. He has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, AARP Magazine, TheStreet.com, and numerous newspapers and articles. Rick is the lead attorney for Law Elder Law, LLP, focusing in Estate Planning, Guardianship, and Nursing Home Solutions. His goal is to give retirees an informed edge when it comes to dealing with an uncertain future. Get flexible retirement strategies that work during good times and bad, plus information on how you can save your home and assets from being used to pay for long term care. Call 800-310-3100 for your free consultation now!

Could Medicaid Help Pay for Your In-Home Care? Part 2

By Rick Law on

January 31, 2017

- Adult Illness, Alzheimer's and Dementia, Elder Law, estate planning, General Interest

By estate planning attorney Rick Law. Rick is founder of the Estate Planning Center at Law Elder Law in West Suburban Aurora, IL. LEL is a multi-generation law firm. In the last installment of my blog, you learned some of the basics of Medicaid in Illinois – and why you need to be informed about it even if you still have money! The Illinois Department on Aging’s Community Care Program helps seniors who might otherwise need nursing home care to remain at home by providing help that the senior may need. This includes help within the home, as well as in the community. This program allows qualifying seniors to keep their independence, while providing cost-effective alternatives to a nursing home. Some of the benefits of the Community Care Program include:

In-Home Help is available to provide assistance with household tasks and personal care for older adults who are moderately impaired. It could be something as simple as uncapping medications and providing water, or even assisting with personal care, cleaning, doing laundry, preparing meals. Help with more complex tasks is also included, such as meal planning, shopping and arranging transportation.
Emergency Home Response Service provides the senior with a signaling device for 24-hour emergency coverage. That way, if help is needed (such as a fall or a fire), the senior can easily alert the authorities and get fast help.
Adult Day Services offer older adults the opportunity to interact with other people in a safe, supervised setting outside the home. Snacks and a noon meal are provided, and participants may enjoy everything from arts and crafts to card games. Counseling and physical therapy with trained professionals are also available in some centers. Adult day service centers can greatly help caregiving family members who may need a few hours to themselves, or who work outside the home during the day. In many adult day service centers funded by the Illinois Department on Aging, specialized programs are available for seniors with memory problems such as Alzheimer’s or dementia.

Too many families needlessly lose everything they have. Don’t let that be you. If you need help paying the overwhelming cost of long term care, give our office a call at 800-310-3100. Your first consultation is absolutely free. We’ll let you know what steps you need to take, right now, to protect yourself and your family. Call now, because when you’re out of money, you’re out of options! Sincerely, Rick L. Law, Attorney, Estate Planner for Retirees. Rick was named the #1 Illinois elder law estate planning attorney by Leading Lawyer Magazine. He has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, AARP Magazine, TheStreet.com, and numerous newspapers and articles. Rick is the lead attorney for Law Elder Law, LLP, focusing in Estate Planning, Guardianship, and Nursing Home Solutions. His goal is to give retirees an informed edge when it comes to dealing with an uncertain future. Get flexible retirement strategies that work during good times and bad, plus information on how you can save your home and assets from being used to pay for long term care. Call 800-310-3100 for your free consultation now!

Probate is Pricey – But Can You Avoid It Altogether? Part 2

By Rick Law on

January 21, 2017

- Asset Protection, Elder Law, estate planning

By estate planning attorney Rick Law. Rick is founder of the multi-generation law firm Law Elder Law in West Suburban Aurora, IL. In my last installment of this blog, you learned a little about what probate is – and why you’ll likely want to avoid it at all costs! As you might imagine, if your family is forced to deal with probate for months or years, it can become extremely costly. In addition, what passes through probate is made public record… meaning all your laundry is aired, for better or for worse. In my office, I have seen too many people fail to plan properly. Unfortunately, the person who failed to plan has not only passed their estate to their loved ones, but they have also passed a huge burden onto their children and/or spouse. The good news is, with proper documents in place, you can avoid putting that load on the ones you love after you pass. With planning that is right for your unique situation, you can put your mind at ease that your family will have the best possible outcome when you die. Always be sure you talk to a qualified Elder Law attorney before you take any steps. While probate can be expensive and inconvenient, for some it is the best option. Every person’s circumstances are different. Make sure you’re making the right choice for your family before you put anything in place. Call my office at (630) 585-5200 to find out what’s right for your situation. Too many families needlessly lose everything they have. Don’t let that be you. If you need help paying the overwhelming cost of long term care, give our office a call at 800-310-3100. Your first consultation is absolutely free. We’ll let you know what steps you need to take, right now, to protect yourself and your family. Call now, because when you’re out of money, you’re out of options! Sincerely, Rick L. Law, Attorney, Estate Planner for Retirees. Rick has been named the #1 Illinois elder law estate planning attorney for 8 years in a row by Leading Lawyer Magazine. He has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, AARP Magazine, TheStreet.com, and numerous newspapers and articles. Rick is the lead attorney for Law Elder Law, LLP, focusing in Estate Planning, Guardianship, and Nursing Home Solutions. His goal is to give retirees an informed edge when it comes to dealing with an uncertain future. Get flexible retirement strategies that work during good times and bad, plus information on how you can save your home and assets from being used to pay for long term care. Call 800-310-3100 for your free consultation now!

Probate is Pricey – But Can You Avoid It Altogether? Part 1

By Rick Law on

January 17, 2017

- Elder Law, estate planning

By estate planning attorney Rick Law. Rick is founder of the multi-generation law firm Law Elder Law in West Suburban Aurora, IL. Talking about what happens after you pass away isn’t an easy thing to do. Most people avoid it like the plague… and that’s normal! That being said, we have to remember that after we breathe our last breath, something does happen to our estate whether we planned for it or not. Most people think that a will is all you need as you plan for your eventual death. But these days, things have changed. You may want to make the process of managing your estate as easy as possible for those you love. If you have only a will, your estate will pass into a court proceeding called probate when you die. This will help determine exactly who gets what parts of your estate according to your will. If you don’t have a will, your estate will still go through probate and will pass to your rightful heirs (depending on who the state decides that is). Sounds simple, doesn’t it? The problem is that probate can be a huge weight on your already-grieving family. It can cost many thousands of dollars, and drag on for months… or even years after your death. In my next installment, you’ll discover some tactics you can use to avoid probate. Too many families needlessly lose everything they have. Don’t let that be you. If you need help paying the overwhelming cost of long term care, give our office a call at 800-310-3100. Your first consultation is absolutely free. We’ll let you know what steps you need to take, right now, to protect yourself and your family. Call now, because when you’re out of money, you’re out of options! Sincerely, Rick L. Law, Attorney, Estate Planner for Retirees. Rick was named the #1 Illinois elder law estate planning attorney by Leading Lawyer Magazine. He has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, AARP Magazine, TheStreet.com, and numerous newspapers and articles. Rick is the lead attorney for Law Elder Law, LLP, focusing in Estate Planning, Guardianship, and Nursing Home Solutions. His goal is to give retirees an informed edge when it comes to dealing with an uncertain future. Get flexible retirement strategies that work during good times and bad, plus information on how you can save your home and assets from being used to pay for long term care. Call 800-310-3100 for your free consultation now!

Diana’s Role in LEL

By Rick Law on

January 12, 2017

- Elder Law, estate planning

By estate planning attorney and Dad Rick Law. Rick is founder of the multi-generation law firm Law Elder Law in West Suburban Aurora, IL. Law Elder Law, LLP is dedicated to serving seniors and those who love them in the Chicagoland area. The firm deals daily with the complicated maze of Medicaid, estate planning, taxation, long-term care planning, special needs trusts and veteran’s benefits for our clients. Diana Law, Esq plays an integral role within the firm, focusing in the Elder Law niche, including litigation due to financial abuse of an elder, guardianship, and estate administration. She is actively involved in the community and has won a number of awards, including the Kane County Bar Association’s Outstanding New Lawyer award in 2007. Diana and the rest of the Law Elder Law team make it their goal to meet not only the legal needs of clients, but to address their pain, confusion, and sense of loss caused by the burden of long-term care needs. Law Elder Law touches clients where they are hurting and provides wise and experienced counsel Clients need guidance through difficult family situations, and understanding complicated public benefits. The legal team communicates with clients in a hands-on and understandable way. The goal is to provide clarity and direction within a byzantine and often adversarial Medicaid, VA benefits, and long-term health care system. Advocating to make sure that clients are aware of the many community resources that are available. At Law Elder Law, a key goal is to help clients age-in-place with dignity, safety and peace of mind. Our client’s goal is to never be out of money and quality healthcare options and the firm works to help them achieve their goal. There are many wrong turns on the eldercare journey and the firm is a trustworthy guide to better outcomes through experienced advocacy coupled with compassion. Too many families needlessly lose everything they have. Don’t let that be you. If you need help paying the overwhelming cost of long term care, give our office a call at 800-310-3100. Your first consultation is absolutely free. We’ll let you know what steps you need to take, right now, to protect yourself and your family. Call now, because when you’re out of money, you’re out of options! Sincerely, Rick L. Law, Attorney, Estate Planner for Retirees. Rick was named the #1 Illinois elder law estate planning attorney by Leading Lawyer Magazine. He has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, AARP Magazine, TheStreet.com, and numerous newspapers and articles. Rick is the lead attorney for Law Elder Law, LLP, focusing in Estate Planning, Guardianship, and Nursing Home Solutions. His goal is to give retirees an informed edge when it comes to dealing with an uncertain future. Get flexible retirement strategies that work during good times and bad, plus information on how you can save your home and assets from being used to pay for long term care. Call 800-310-3100 for your free consultation now!

A Death Plan vs. a Life Plan

By Rick Law on

January 8, 2017

- Alzheimer's and Dementia, Asset Protection, Elder Law

By estate planning attorney Rick Law. Rick is founder of the Estate Planning Center at Law Elder Law in West Suburban Aurora, IL. LEL is a multi-generation law firm. There are countless lawyers who can help you draw up a will and other papers to tell the courts what to do with your assets when you die. Just about anyone who has passed the bar exam can write you up a “Death Plan.” The problem is just that – a will only comes to life after you die. You need an estate plan that ensures your quality of life while you are still alive. There are very few attorneys who focus on just how to give you or your loved one a “Life Plan.” What Law Elder Law specializes in is not just how to divvy out your assets when you’re gone, but how to make sure those assets remain intact while you are alive so you have a legacy to leave to your loved ones. With the cost of nursing home care averaging $6,000 per month, a lifetime of savings can be wiped out in a matter of months. Law Elder Law works to protect your assets, legally, and assure you that you will not be left out of money, out of options, and robbed of dignity. You don’t have to outlive your money or your assets. Rick Law has organized Law Elder Law to provide the answers that “throw a lifeline” to individuals in danger of sinking under the weight of a long-term nursing care burden, or those who want to make sure they are never faced with that crisis situation. Call LEL toll-free at 1-800-810-3100. Too many families needlessly lose everything they have. Don’t let that be you. If you need help paying the overwhelming cost of long term care, give our office a call at 800-310-3100. Your first consultation is absolutely free. We’ll let you know what steps you need to take, right now, to protect yourself and your family. Call now, because when you’re out of money, you’re out of options! Sincerely, Rick L. Law, Attorney, Estate Planner for Retirees. Rick has been named the #1 Illinois elder law estate planning attorney for 8 years in a row by Leading Lawyer Magazine. He has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, AARP Magazine, TheStreet.com, and numerous newspapers and articles. Rick is the lead attorney for Law Elder Law, LLP, focusing in Estate Planning, Guardianship, and Nursing Home Solutions. His goal is to give retirees an informed edge when it comes to dealing with an uncertain future. Get flexible retirement strategies that work during good times and bad, plus information on how you can save your home and assets from being used to pay for long term care. Call 800-310-3100 for your free consultation now!

Why We Practice Elder Law

By Rick Law on

January 4, 2017

- Adult Illness, Alzheimer's and Dementia, Asset Protection, Elder Law

By estate planning attorney Rick Law. Rick is founder of the Estate Planning Center at Law Elder Law in West Suburban Aurora, IL. LEL is a multi-generation law firm. Dementia and chronic illness can be one of the most devastating experiences a family can face. Rick Law, through both his family and friends, has experienced that devastation and responded to it by founding Law Elder Law. LEL is a firm dedicated to helping victims’ families not only cope with their grief and confusion, but discover how they can save the assets their loved one has worked a lifetime to achieve. Rick has seen the incredible burden that is borne not only by the families of his clients, but has been affected within his own family. He has watched as family members have exhausted their own health and emotional resources by being sacrificial caregivers. This sacrifice is a major motivator that has caused us to develop the services and systems of Law Elder Law. We are dedicated to protecting and serving the elderly and those who love them. Rick began his work in the area of Elder Law in 2000, when he received a frantic call from friends that began with a panic-driven question, “Rick, my husband has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Am I going to lose my house? Everything we’ve worked for? What can I do?” At the time that Rick received this question, he responded, “I don’t know.” Even though Rick did not know the answer, he did not let that stop him from setting out to help his friends. He embarked on a mission to find the answers for this aging couple, and others in distress. That phone call led Rick to discover the answers to questions that families in crisis ask, and desperately need to have answered. He learned quickly that almost no one seemed to know how to advise clients in this type of crisis. Too many families needlessly lose everything they have. Don’t let that be you. If you need help paying the overwhelming cost of long term care, give our office a call at 800-310-3100. Your first consultation is absolutely free. We’ll let you know what steps you need to take, right now, to protect yourself and your family. Call now, because when you’re out of money, you’re out of options! Sincerely, Rick L. Law, Attorney, Estate Planner for Retirees. Rick was named the #1 Illinois elder law estate planning attorney for the past 8 years in a row by Leading Lawyer Magazine. He has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, AARP Magazine, TheStreet.com, and numerous newspapers and articles. Rick is the lead attorney for Law Elder Law, LLP, focusing in Estate Planning, Guardianship, and Nursing Home Solutions. His goal is to give retirees an informed edge when it comes to dealing with an uncertain future. Get flexible retirement strategies that work during good times and bad, plus information on how you can save your home and assets from being used to pay for long term care. Call 800-310-3100 for your free consultation now!

Love and Affection

By Rick Law on

December 31, 2016

- Adult Illness, Caregivers, Elder Law, estate planning, Financial Planning

By elder law attorney Rick Law, managing partner at the multi-generation law form of Law Elder Law. Serving seniors and boomers in Western Chicagoland, Illinois. When someone provides a service for someone else, there is an expectation of compensation, but when the same services are performed by a family member, the presumption is that the services were performed gratuitously. Courts have historically held the presumption that when one family member provides a service for another family member, the person does so out of love and the services are considered gratuitous. Not only is there a historical prejudice against the adult child who is caring for an elderly parent, but in some states that prejudice is written in the administration rules of that state. It is your lawyer’s job to overcome the assumption that relatives perform services for each other out of love or mutual convenience. This can be quite a presumption to overcome, because the prejudice against contracts among relatives dates back to the 1800’s, when it was assumed that relatives performed services for the mutual convenience of everyone in their household. There are also deep-rooted cultural beliefs about caregiving among family members. For example, there are strong cultural beliefs at play that suggest parents should receive reciprocal free care from their children because of the years they spend as uncompensated caregivers raising their children. Your trusted elder law attorney should build into the language of the personal-care agreement that the transfers made under this contract are not for love and affection, but rather they are for services rendered to the elder by the caretaker for fair market value. If you’re ready to start getting your estate in order and secure your assets for the “worst-case” scenario, please give our office a call at 800-310-3100. Your first consultation is absolutely free. We’ll let you know what steps you need to take, right now, to protect yourself and your family. Call now. Sincerely, Rick L. Law, Attorney, Estate Planner for Retirees. Rick was named the #1 Illinois elder law estate planning attorney by Leading Lawyer Magazine. He has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, AARP Magazine, TheStreet.com, and numerous newspapers and articles. Rick is the lead attorney for Law Elder Law, LLP, focusing in Estate Planning, Guardianship, and Nursing Home Solutions. His goal is to give retirees an informed edge when it comes to dealing with an uncertain future. Get flexible retirement strategies that work during good times and bad, plus information on how you can save your home and assets from being used to pay for long term care. Call 800-310-3100 for your free consultation now!

Is Your Disabled Child Protected After You Die?

By Rick Law on

December 26, 2016

- Adult Illness, Caregivers, Elder Law, estate planning, Financial Planning

By Rick Law, Elder Law Attorney and senior advocate at the multi-generation law firm of Law Elder Law in West suburban Aurora, IL. Serving seniors and their families in Western Chicagoland . What do you do if you’re an elderly parent still caring for a disabled child who can’t care for him or herself? Last week I wrote about “empty nesters” who have never really had an empty nest. These are parents of children with disabilities such as autism, cerebral palsy, hearing loss, mental retardation, vision impairment, muscular dystrophy, genetic and chromosomal disorders, Down’s syndrome, and fetal alcohol syndrome, to name just a few. Some disabilities are apparent at birth, and others are caused by accidents or manifest themselves as mental illness later in life, but the end result is the same: The child is being cared for by a loving parent who worries about who will provide care for that child once the parent is gone. The most common advice of the attorney who does not practice in the area of special needs trust planning (or what we prefer to call Tender Loving Care (TLC) Trusts) has been for the parent to disinherit the child. Disinherit means to make sure you leave that disabled child with absolutely no allocation of money directly. This gives the simplistic idea that one should just leave extra money to one of the other children who will provide care for the disabled child and money management. Even in the best of families, this is usually a disastrous idea for the following reasons:

It’s extremely difficult for an individual who receives extra money not to commingle that money with their own, and eventually treat it as their own. That money would become available in the event that the healthy child becomes divorced or is otherwise subject to loss to a creditor.
In many families the dynamic is such that the healthy children have some anger or resentment toward the disabled child because that sibling got more attention. Thus, healthy children may not want the role of caregiver and banker for their disabled sibling.
And most unfairly, leaving money to one child for disbursement to another child puts a target on the back of the healthy child, in that all complaints and concerns about money will be directed to that individual.

It is the job of the elder law and special needs attorney to assist families like this in developing proper planning so that we can help the parents to create a better way to manage both money and care after they are gone. A TLC Trust is designed to work in partnership with any public benefits such as Supplemental Security Income and Medicaid. It is a way for parents to leave money for the needs of their child beyond what public benefits would pay. A TLC Trust can provide supplemental care for recreation, social activities, pets, special therapies, entertainment, and even vacation opportunities for a child by the use of trust money. A TLC Trust can also purchase professional care management, which can enhance not only the dignity, but the quality of life of a disabled child. The TLC Trust is a far more loving and caring solution to the challenge of providing for a child with special needs. Before you disinherit your child with a disability – contact an elder law attorney who can assist you in designing a custom plan to meet the very special needs of your child, so that he or she can be given tender loving care after you have passed away. If you’re ready to start getting your estate in order and secure your assets for the “worst-case” scenario, please give our office a call at 800-310-3100. Your first consultation is absolutely free. We’ll let you know what steps you need to take, right now, to protect yourself and your family. Call now. Sincerely, Rick L. Law, Attorney, Estate Planner for Retirees. Rick has been named the #1 Illinois elder law estate planning attorney for the past 8 years in a row by Leading Lawyer Magazine. He has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, AARP Magazine, TheStreet.com, and numerous newspapers and articles. Rick is the lead attorney for Law Elder Law, LLP, focusing in Estate Planning, Guardianship, and Nursing Home Solutions. His goal is to give retirees an informed edge when it comes to dealing with an uncertain future. Get flexible retirement strategies that work during good times and bad, plus information on how you can save your home and assets from being used to pay for long term care. Call 800-310-3100 for your free consultation now!

Disabled Child and the TLC Trust

By Rick Law on

December 15, 2016

- Adult Illness, Elder Law, estate planning, Financial Planning, General Interest

By estate planning attorney Rick Law, founder of the Estate Planning Center at Law Elder Law, a multi-generation law firm in the Western suburb of Aurora in Illinois. My wife and I are empty-nesters. We looked forward to reaching this point with excitement, and a little anxiety too. Having raised four children, it’s time to move on to the more senior stages of downsizing and anticipating our retirement. Not everyone becomes an empty-nester. And although we sometimes joke about the occasional “failure-to-launch”, the child who still relies heavily on the parents due to their inability to establish a career, there’s another group of parents who will never know the joy of seeing their child be fully self-supporting. In my office it is not uncommon for me to sit across the table from an 83 year old parent who is still the primary caregiver for a child who is chronically disabled. Those parents live in dread of the day that they will die and their children may survive them and face a future without the loving protection of a parent. This is the first time in human history that parents face the possibility of having their chronically disabled children actually outlive them. Prior to the introduction of antibiotics and many other great advances in health care, chronically disabled children routinely died at a young age. But now, even parents who have lived to become the frail elderly themselves may have chronically disabled children who are themselves senior citizens, but who are still at home being cared for by their parents. In fact, sometimes when we assist families in bringing in a professional caregiver for the aged parents, those same caregivers are providing necessary services to the child with the disability, as well. This raises new challenges for those parents and their children. This type of disability is really quite common. “Developmental disabilities” are severe chronic conditions caused by mental and/or physical impairments. Individuals affected by such challenges may be so profoundly impacted that they will never be able to function independently. So how can a parent be assured that a disabled child will be taken care of after the parent is gone? Some attorneys will recommend that you leave everything to another, non-disabled child, to care for the disabled sibling. This passing of the torch is unfair and in many ways ill-advised. Far better is the creation of a special needs trust specifically for the benefit of your disabled child. If you’re ready to start getting your estate in order and secure your assets for the “worst-case” scenario, please give our office a call at 800-310-3100. Your first consultation is absolutely free. We’ll let you know what steps you need to take, right now, to protect yourself and your family. Call now. Sincerely, Rick L. Law, Attorney, Estate Planner for Retirees. Rick has been named the #1 Illinois elder law estate planning attorney for the past 8 years in a row by Leading Lawyer Magazine. He has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, AARP Magazine, TheStreet.com, and numerous newspapers and articles. Rick is the lead attorney for Law Elder Law, LLP, focusing in Estate Planning, Guardianship, and Nursing Home Solutions. His goal is to give retirees an informed edge when it comes to dealing with an uncertain future. Get flexible retirement strategies that work during good times and bad, plus information on how you can save your home and assets from being used to pay for long term care. Call 800-310-3100 for your free consultation now!

Our Mission at Law ElderLaw

Could Medicaid Help Pay for Your In-Home Care? Part 2

Probate is Pricey – But Can You Avoid It Altogether? Part 2

Probate is Pricey – But Can You Avoid It Altogether? Part 1

Diana’s Role in LEL

A Death Plan vs. a Life Plan

Why We Practice Elder Law

Love and Affection

Is Your Disabled Child Protected After You Die?

Disabled Child and the TLC Trust

Estate, Asset & Retirement Tax Attorneys

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