Fouts Law Group, LLC provides elder law services in Atlanta and surrounding areas in Georgia. These elder law services aren’t provided only to seniors. Young people need elder law help too, despite the name of this area of law. If you are concerned with protection of your assets, with what will occur in case of incapacity, and with how you can keep you and your family secure, elder law attorneys provide legal advice that allows you to make smart choices.
If you have never worked with an elder law attorney before, Fouts Law Group, LLC makes the process easy. If you already have a financial plan, asset protection, incapacity plan, legacy plan, or estate plan in place, we can also provide you with assistance making updates and ensuring your plan reflects your current situation.
Give us a call at (678) 242-8344 to speak with a member of our legal team to find out more about the personalized elder law services we offer and to get answers to questions you have including:
- Do I really need an elder law attorney?
- What can an elder law attorney help me do?
- How Can I find an Atlanta elder law attorney?
Do You Really Need an Elder Law Attorney?
You need an elder law attorney to provide you with advice on how to protect yourself in case of incapacity, how to protect your assets, and how to protect your family. Most people aren’t even necessarily aware that they should make advanced plans for incapacity, and don’t really know what should be a part of their legacy plan. By working with an experienced attorney who understands the steps involved in preparing for a secure future, you can take the steps you didn’t even know you needed to ensure you and your family are prepared for anything that life throws at you.
Even if you know you need an estate plan, an incapacity plan, and an asset protection plan, you may not know exactly where to start or be aware of how to make the right legal tools work to achieve your goals. When it comes to things like trust creation or planning ahead to ensure you can afford nursing home care, you cannot afford to make mistakes. A mistake like choosing the wrong kind of trust or not making a legally valid power of attorney could mean you don’t get expected protections and you and your family are put into a difficult situation.
Getting help making plans for the future and using legal tools appropriately isn’t just something for seniors to do. The issues elder law attorneys help with, like planning ahead in case of incapacity or death, are issues that matter to everyone because no one has any idea of how many tomorrows they have left. You need to make your plans, and make effective use of legal tools, before it is too late.
What Can an Elder Law Attorney Help You Do?
An elder law attorney can help you to do many important things aimed at keeping your own future secure and protecting your family, assets, and legacy. Some of the different things an elder law attorney can help with include:
- Developing a plan to save for retirement and meet other financial goals through the use of smart investment strategies and the use of tax-advantaged accounts like IRAs.
- Protecting assets from various sources of potential loss, including claims against a company you own, creditor claims, divorce, estate taxes, high nursing home costs, and more.
- Expressing preferences on medical care in advance in case you suffer an illness or injury that prevents you from being able to communicate with doctors or family members about desired medical interventions.
- Making plans in advance to determine who will manage your assets and make your life decisions in the event of physical or mental incapacity that leaves you unable to act on your own.
- Creating a comprehensive estate plan that reduces estate taxes, protects heirs, transfers business and personal property in an appropriate way, and otherwise secures your legacy.
These are just some of the many ways in which an elder law attorney provides you with assistance in achieving the maximum security for yourself and those in your life who you care about.
Georgia Medicaid, Guardianship, and Nursing Home Costs: What Georgia Families Need to Know
Elder law in Georgia comes down to three questions most families face at the same time: how to pay for care, how to protect what a lifetime of work built, and who can legally make decisions if a loved one no longer can. The answers depend on Georgia rules, not general advice you find online.
Paying for Nursing Home Care in Georgia
A nursing home in the Atlanta area commonly costs roughly $9,000 to $11,000 per month when paid privately, depending on the facility and the level of care. Few families can sustain that for long, which is why Georgia Medicaid becomes part of the conversation so quickly. To qualify for nursing home Medicaid, a single applicant is generally limited to $2,000 in countable assets, and monthly income must fit within Georgia’s income cap. Planning ahead is what keeps a family from having to spend everything down first. Our nursing home planning attorneys help families prepare before a crisis forces the decision.
The Georgia Medicaid Look-Back Period
Georgia reviews every gift and transfer made in the 60 months before a Medicaid application. A transfer for less than fair value inside that window creates a penalty period during which Medicaid will not pay for nursing home care. The penalty is calculated by dividing the amount transferred by a monthly figure set by the state, currently $11,122. A $50,000 gift, for example, can mean about four and a half months without coverage. Moving a house to a child or giving away savings without a plan can cost a family far more than they expect. Our Georgia Medicaid planning work focuses on legal strategies that respect the look-back rules while protecting a spouse and the family home where the law allows.
Guardianship and Conservatorship in Georgia
When an adult can no longer manage their own affairs and has no power of attorney in place, a Georgia probate court can appoint a guardian to make personal and medical decisions and a conservator to manage money and property. The process is public, can take months, and places the family under ongoing court supervision. In most cases a properly drafted durable power of attorney and healthcare directive avoids it entirely. If a guardianship is already necessary, we guide families through the court process. Learn more about incapacity planning and, for veterans and surviving spouses, VA benefits eligibility.
Start Before the Crisis
The families with the most options are the ones who plan before a hospital stay or a diagnosis forces the issue. If you are weighing care options for a parent, spouse, or yourself, contact Fouts Law Group for a consultation at (678) 242-8344.
How Can You Find an Atlanta Elder Law Attorney?
Fouts Law Group, LLC provides a full array of elder law services. To find out more about how an Atlanta elder law attorney can assist you with planning ahead for your future, give us a call at (678) 242-8344 or contact us online today.
