Seniors in Love

December 9, 2016

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

“By Rick Law, estate planning attorney and senior advocate at the Estate Planning Center at Law Elder Law in Western Chicagoland in Illinois. Love and marriage is wonderful, but for senior citizens it raises very different issues than it does for the young and newly married. One obvious issue is the fact that most seniors already have adult children, and many of those adult children are quite vocal in their concern about their mother or father becoming involved in a new love life. Before mom or dad get married, many children want to make sure that their inheritance is protected. To that end, many seniors use wills or trusts which direct that assets go to “my kids and grandkids,” or create pre-marriage-property-settlement agreements (pre-nuptial contracts) which require that the pending bride or groom give up any interest in their new spouse’s assets. Despite these attempts to safeguard assets for the original families, there is another hidden danger to the family wealth whenever a senior chooses to wed. A trust or pre-nuptial agreement does not protect the assets of one spouse from being drained to pay for an ill spouse’s medical costs, including long-term care costs. The “Common Law of England” required long ago that husbands and wives be legally responsible to pay for each others’ necessaries, and our own government adopted that requirement. Included in those “necessaries” are food, housing, and yes: healthcare. This includes the cost of care when someone is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s or any other long-term illness. To protect themselves from this hidden drain on a lifetime of earnings, healthy vigorous seniors who are considering getting “hitched” must consider the wisdom of purchasing long-term care insurance and perhaps engaging an elder law attorney to assist them with longevity planning. All this must take place before your marriage, so that you have some idea of what your real risks are. Elder law attorneys have many creative legal solutions that go beyond the traditional estate planner’s basic will and trust, which merely deal with the distribution of your assets at the time of your death, avoidance of probate, and minimization of estate taxes. 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!

Feeling Trapped As a Caregiver

By Rick Law on

November 21, 2016

- Alzheimer's and Dementia, Caregivers, Elder Law, estate planning, Financial Planning

By Elder Law Attorney Rick Law. As an attorney advocate for senior care in the Western Chicago suburbs, Rick Law and the friendly and experienced staff at Law Elder Law are here to help you get all your ducks in a row and plan for the worst-case scenario. Recently Loretta, a caregiver client, visited our office and I sat down with her to ask about her experience as a caregiver for her husband, who has been affected by Alzheimer’s for the past decade. Serving as a caregiver for a loved one with long-term care needs has a unique set of feelings and experiences, which we at LEL strive to understand and accommodate. One of her strongest statements was the feeling that “It makes you feel so trapped… financially and socially… there are just so many unexpected areas of burden. The weight of it all traps you underneath.” As a caregiver, you are often left with few choices save for how you will respond in any given situation. Because of this, it is common for many caregivers to burn out. You can’t control your schedule. You can’t control your loved one’s incontinence or sleeping times. You can’t control what they are going to say or what they are going to do. You lose all freedom. Often you find that you lack control over the most basic areas of your life. As for social activities, Loretta told us “We both love music, and Stephen and I used to attend concerts together. After he was diagnosed it became more difficult to take him along, and eventually it got to the point where it was just too much effort and he didn’t enjoy it anymore.” Even having friends over is difficult. “What do you say to them?” she said, “And what do they say to you? It’s extremely awkward, disheartening, and embarrassing. In addition, there are times when Stephen became very angry, and because I’m doing the care-giving, I’m right there for him to express his frustration. I don’t want other people to see that. Remember, you can’t control anything. You lose all your freedom.” As I listened to Loretta share her experience caring for Stephen at home, I could not help but admire once again all the caregivers out there. Her story served as yet another reminder of why we at Law Elder Law do what we do: provide counsel and help to those who lovingly sacrifice their wealth, health, freedom, and careers to provide loving care for a spouse, child, or parent. 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 from 2008-2016 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!

The Slippery Slope of Memory Loss

By Rick Law on

November 15, 2016

- Adult Illness, Alzheimer's and Dementia, Elder Law, estate planning, Financial Planning, Long Term Care

By Rick Law, elder care attorney and estate planner at the Estate Planning Center of Law Elder Law in Aurora, serving Kane, Kendall, DuPage, Will, Cook, and other counties in Northern Illinois. Almost every day I learn more about the subtleties and surprises within the elder care journey. At Law Elder Law we often work with families who have a loved one affected by some type of dementia. About 7 years ago, I had the opportunity to hear University of Pennsylvania neurologist Dr. Jason Karlawish speak to a group of lawyers about clients who may have Alzheimer’s disease or some other type of dementia. As we non-medical people observe folks with memory loss, we assume that the individual is losing his or her memory on a constant downward sliding path. According to Dr. Karlawish, however, that is not the right way to think about memory loss. Dr. Karlawish taught me that I need to change the way I look at memory loss. He helped me understand that different brain functions are affected with differing rates of decline. “Attorneys are linear thinkers. You are trained to think in a linear and logical fashion, and so you believe that if your clients can give the correct answer to a fact based question, then they are still capable. You assume that if they know that 2+2=4, then they are capable of managing their affairs.” He shook his head and stated, “Nothing could be further from the truth.” It turns out, someone who is suffering from dementia can retain their linear thinking, but lose their ability to comprehend the consequences of what that answer means. As I listened to him speak, it hit me that this was exactly what was happening with one of my clients. This client was responsibly caring for his wife, but the family was continually calling to tell me that “Bill” was making foolish decisions with money, and it was running out at a frightening rate. But when Bill came into my office, nothing seemed to be wrong; he drove himself, he brought his accounting books and we would go over his records together. He seemed capable of handling all his affairs because he gave me all the right answers. Nonetheless, within the next day or two he would do something as bizarre as hiring an $800 ambulance service to get his wife to her weekly hair appointment. Suddenly I realized that although Bill was able to tell me how much was in his bank account, he could no longer understand the meaning of those numbers. If your loved one has memory problems and you’re afraid of the consequences that may bring, give our office a call today 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!

The True Cost of Long-Term Care

By Rick Law on

November 5, 2016

- Adult Illness, Alzheimer's and Dementia, Elder Law, estate planning, Financial Planning, Long Term Care

By Rick Law, J.D. founder of the Estate Planning Center at Law Elder Law. Rick and daughter/attorney partner Diana Law are part of the caring team at Law Elder Law. Serving seniors, boomers, and their families in West suburban Chicagoland in Illinois. It is not uncommon, when talking to a man about the possibility of old age decline, to have him say things such as:

“My dad died at sixty of a heart attack–I’m sure I’m not going to live any longer than that.”
“I won’t rust out, I’ll burn out.”
“Before I’ll go to a nursing home I’ll put the muzzle of a gun in my mouth!”
“I’m gonna keep going until one day I just drop in the harness.”

According to a survey conducted by the New York times, nationwide evidence tells us that the long-term care burden overwhelmingly falls on the women of the family. In their youth men are generally physically stronger than women, but as they age they decline more quickly. Compounding the problem, men often cling to a machismo that causes them to deny their own mortality and to under-appreciate the catastrophic burden that old-age frailty will place on their wives or children. It seems to be a natural part of being male to assume that bad things happen to other people, not to yourself. The result of this attitude is that the women of the family are faced with caring for more and more frail men who have either refused to purchase long-term care insurance, or refused to modify their lifestyles to minimize the possibility of chronic illness. Women are forced to exhaust their own financial and physical resources to care for their men. By the time the first spouse dies, the caregiver spouse is often depleted both physically and financially. She has no reserves as she faces her own long-term care crisis. As elder law and estate planning attorneys, we strive to help rescue the embattled caregiver. Survivor spouse preservation is one of our key goals when working with a couple to plan ahead, and those who are already faced with nursing home challenges. At Law Elder Law, we recognize the contribution of the women who carry the burden of their own parents, their husbands’ frail parents, and/or their own husbands. 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!

Will Your Special Needs Loved One Have Enough To Live On?

By Rick Law on

August 29, 2016

- estate planning, Financial Planning, Special Needs Planning

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. What will happen to your disabled loved one when you’re gone? As an elder law attorney, I often have to assist parents who have lived to an age where they become the “frail elderly” and are facing nursing home needs of their own – yet, these are the very people who are still required to be at home caring for their adult disabled child. Millions of parents want to protect a child with a disability such as autism, cerebral palsy, hearing loss, vision impairment, muscular dystrophy, genetic and chromosomal disorders, Down’s Syndrome, or one of a number of mental illnesses. (We’ll also talk in a later email about how to protect a child who does not have a traditionally-defined disability, but will never be able to handle money and also needs love and protection). It’s my job to take the hands of parents and grandparents, helping to guide them to peace of mind as they put up safeguards and protections for their child that will be in place long after they’re gone. The scary thing is that many people (even attorneys!) recommend that a parent disinherit their special needs child in order to allow them to continue receiving benefits and so as not to create more problems. But I’m here to tell you that there is a better way – you can protect your child while making sure they will always have enough during their lifetime. As we delve into the tools I use to help families like yours, you’ll discover that you may want to make changes to better protect your loved ones. Or, you may not want to wait for my next few emails – if that’s the case, simply call my office at the number below. Every family is different, and I want your family to have the best possible outcome. Let’s sit down together and talk about how to protect and provide for those you love – while you’re alive, and for the rest of their lifetimes. 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!

Four Things You Need

By Rick Law on

August 22, 2016

- estate planning, Financial 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. During any calendar year, father and daughter team Rick and Diana Law work with at least 500 singles and couples, ranging from healthy, vigorous, Vietnam-War-era baby boomers, to the fragile remaining elders of the Depression era and World War II generation. Few attorneys and/or senior advisors get to learn from the financial and legal decisions of 500+ lifetimes of decision-makers. Through their extensive experience, they have discovered the four things you need from your financial advisor: Safety, because it’s too hard to get back what you lost. Having the peace of mind that comes with knowing that your loved ones will be taken care of, your wishes will be adhered to, and, most importantly, if you are stricken with a devastating illness, your family won’t be financially burdened with the enormous costs that come with long-term care. You can sleep well knowing that, within your means, you will not be a burden on your loved ones. A reasonable rate of return on your money. Most people do not expect to be stock market wizards. They want a safe and consistent way to be able to support their lifestyle. Especially in recent years, the trials associated with a tumultuous stock market has been devastating to many elderly families. So much so that there has been an unexpected influx of retirement aged individuals re-entering the workforce. An unfortunate necessity born, not out of poor planning, but unpredictable behaviors in the financial market. Simplicity, because nobody wants to be a fool. And furthermore, you can’t be an expert in everything. The reality is that there’s more information than ever, available right at our fingertips, yet there seems to be more confusion and fewer answers available to us. We just want to be able to make legal and financial decisions that we can understand. Income for life. Nobody wants to run out of money before they die. If you are out of money, then you are out of options. It’s the unfortunate truth, and comes back to the issue of “safety”. The time, energy, and money it takes to fix a problem are not even an option for some people. If you’ve waited too long, then the unfortunate truth is, there’s likely nothing that can be done. 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!

Fear of the Nursing Home

By Rick Law on

June 23, 2016

- Adult Illness, Alzheimer's and Dementia, estate planning, Financial Planning, Senior Citizens

By Elder Law, Estate Planning, and Guardianship attorney Rick Law of the multi generation law firm at the Estate Planning Center of Law Elder Law in Western Suburban Aurora, IL just off of the I-88 tollway. Seniors are often so afraid that if someone takes their son, grandson, or whatever person is serving as their caretaker, away, now they will have to go to a nursing home. When confronted with scenarios of abuse, whether it’s financial or physical, they’ll put up with the abuse so that they can stay in their home. A great many seniors have spent their whole lives reminding their children that they “never want to be put in a home”; a rational fear made worse by generational stories of neglect, loneliness, abuse, and an inglorious death. Similarly, seniors who have been scammed by strangers don’t want to tell their family because they are embarrassed, but they are afraid if they do tell their adult child, the adult child would say, “Dad, you can no longer care for yourself. We need to take you to look at other living options.” Seniors know that is a euphemism for the nursing home. The fear of going to a nursing home is legitimate. Linda Voirin – Victim Advocate at Kane County State’s Attorney Office – states, “We are probably fast-tracking someone’s demise when we take them out of what they’ve known and where they want to be and where they need to be in their home. If that is the trade off, then we have to look at that pretty carefully.” Voirin adds that “there is empirical evidence that when a senior has been a victim of crime, that it has hastened their death. Being a victim, because it is so disrupting in their life at a vulnerable time in their life when trust is so important, hastens their demise.” Then add the guilt of their grandson, or whoever was exploiting them, being put in jail and the stress of them moving to a nursing home—that’s a lot of stressors. 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!

Seniors Who Tolerate the Lesser of Two Evils

By Rick Law on

June 21, 2016

- Adult Illness, Alzheimer's and Dementia, Financial Planning, General Interest, Senior Citizens

By Estate Planning, Elder Law, and Guardianship Attorney Rick Law of the multi-generation law firm at Law Elder Law. Rick is the founder of the Estate Planning Center at Law Elder Law, serving seniors, boomers, and their families in suburban DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Will and Cook and other counties in Illinois. Seniors with dementia are more likely to put up with financial exploitation rather than report it. They know that they are vulnerable, but they don’t want to turn in their abuser. They don’t want their child or grandchild arrested, so they’ll just put up with it. Sometimes, the relative exploiting the senior is the only person that can help them continue to stay in their own home. Often, the senior doesn’t drive anymore and they depend on that son or daughter to take them everywhere. The worst part is when children take advantage of the situation, thinking that money will belong to them anyway at some point, so they start using the senior’s money as their own. They move into the parent’s house and live off their parent’s social security. Sometimes they will threaten the parents with putting them in a nursing home (although they’d never do that since they are living off of their social security checks). Oftentimes other family members will call the police and say, “I think my brother is taking advantage of my mom and I don’t like it one bit.” More often than not, though, according to Officer Aschenbrenner, when the police talk to mom, she says, “No, I want him to live here. I’m fine.” Sometimes she will simply say, “I don’t want to make things worse than what they are.” At that point, there is nothing the police can do. In our experience, there are too many occasions where older people will tolerate abuse because it is the lesser of two evils. That is probably the number one reason why the abuse is never reported, because the need of the senior to live at home is so great. 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!

Warm Hands Giving

By Rick Law on

June 14, 2016

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

By senior estate planner and elder law attorney Rick L. Law of the Estate Planning Center at Law Elder Law, a multi-generational law firm serving seniors, boomers, and their families in West suburban Aurora, Illinois. When I was just a high school kid, I was visiting my favorite farm family cousin, when I learned one of the most loving lessons about giving. My cousin was teasing her dad and asked, “Dad, are you and Mom going to pay for my wedding?” We were just teenagers then, so there was no wedding planned at that time. None the less, her dad suddenly got very serious and told her to sit down with him. He looked deeply into her eyes and said, “Yes Honey! There are a lot of things that your Mom and I hope to be able to give to you with warm hands.” I was not a part of the conversation but I was stunned by the impact of his words. He understood full well that someday, his hands would be cold. Donating time and money to children and youth programs while you’re still alive is a great example of warm hands giving. How fulfilling it is to see your smile reflected back in the eyes of a hopeful child. As an estate planning attorney, many of my clients live and give generously with their time and their money. They unselfishly support both the people and the organizations that they love and cherish. Surprisingly when it comes time to do their estate plans, there seems to be a disconnect in that they often overlook allocating a percentage of their wealth to the organizations that they supported during their lifetime. Maybe it’s because it’s almost taboo to talk about estate planning. Most people don’t realize how satisfying and painless it is to generously bless the future work of their favorite not-for-profit organization. Plan ahead to pass your baton to future do-gooders and would-be philanthropists so that they can better serve future generations needs. This can be one of the most marvelous and loving ways to give with warm hands. 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!

Building a Case Against Exploitation and Fraud

By Rick Law on

June 9, 2016

- Alzheimer's and Dementia, Asset Protection, Elder Law, Financial Planning, General Interest

By Illinois Elder Law Attorney Rick Law of the Estate Planning Center at Law Elder Law. Serving seniors and their families in Kane and Kendall Counties, Law Elder Law is a multi-generation law firm located in Aurora, IL. When an exploiter promises the clients that they would get this great rate of return and that was not true, that is fraudulent misrepresentation under the common law. Many states have great consumer fraud statutes that are very consumer friendly and in some cases allow for attorney fees. When lawyers sue under the theory of fraud, the client can be awarded punitive damages, which is a great incentive when it comes time to talk about settlement talks. When it’s time to sit down to talk settlement, lawyers can state that all they really want is the money that was stolen and the assets that were stolen. They can tell the other side that they are not really looking for a windfall and will go away if they just give back what was taken. However, if the case goes to trial, they have intentional counts pending, including fraud, and they’re going to ask for punitive damages as well as giving back the money that was stolen. That is a very helpful bargaining chip in settlement talks. If the victim of financial exploitation was adjudicated disabled and/or had a guardian appointed at the time the document was executed, the document is void as a matter of law (in most jurisdictions). However, if documents were signed before the date of adjudication, there will need to be a hearing to demonstrate incapacity at the time of the signing. In order to show incapacity, lawyers will usually need expert medical testimony. Too many families needlessly lose everything they have. Don’t let that be you. If you need help building a fortress around your estate to protect it from creditors, predators, and the cost of chronic disease, 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!

Seniors in Love

Feeling Trapped As a Caregiver

The Slippery Slope of Memory Loss

The True Cost of Long-Term Care

Will Your Special Needs Loved One Have Enough To Live On?

Four Things You Need

Fear of the Nursing Home

Seniors Who Tolerate the Lesser of Two Evils

Warm Hands Giving

Building a Case Against Exploitation and Fraud

Estate, Asset & Retirement Tax Attorneys

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