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Our practice is devoted to helping Elderly and disabled individuals in North Georgia and Southeast Tennessee.
In life, events happen that make you happy, such as the birth of a child, or a marriage. Things that make you sad also happen such as the illness of a beloved parent, a death or a divorce. Anytime one of these "life changing" events occurs, its probably time to dust things off and see if your estate plan still works. Without a doubt, in our practice, it's chronic illness and the high cost of home health care and nursing home care that cause people to start thinking about their planning needs.
It is never too late to plan. Of course, the sooner you start planning, the more we can do to help, but planning can be done at anytime. A clear and comprehensive Life Care Plan can provide your family with peace of mind, knowing you've done all you can to enhance your loved one's quality of life and protect their estate. It can ease caregiver stress and return some order to your life. Although the Life Care Plan will vary from individual to individual, many include:
- A written action plan outlining where we go from here, including a discussion of eligibility for public benefits such as Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income and Veteran's Benefits;
- A will, often with special needs trust provisions;
- A financial power of attorney, often called a General Durable Power of Attorney; and
- An Advanced Directive for Health Care, often called a Health Care Power of Attorney.
Other documents are included with the life care plan on an as needed basis.
Many people think about Wills when they think about Estate Planning, but in many cases they are getting the cart before the horse. Wills are for dead people - we focus most of our attention helping you with life. Even so, keep in mind when you do your estate plan that you should choose the tool rather than letting the tool choose you. Some people will need only a Will. Others may need a trust or a special needs trust. Some want a Living Trust they can use now, while other want a Testamentary Trust in their Will. Some people want to give away their assets, not knowing that doing so can cause huge problems gaining Medicaid eligibility.
An experienced elder law attorney can guide you and your family through the long-term care maze, planning to help you age in place, while developing contingency plans just in case you need nursing home care and Medicaid. David McGuffey has devoted his practice to helping Elders solve the problems they face. He is one of only four Certified Elder Law Attorneys in the State of Georgia, certified by the National Elder Law Foundation. This means that in addition to those rules applicable to all lawyers, he has passed a full-day examination, has been peer reviewed by other Elder Law Attorneys, participates in at least 45 hours of Elder Law Continuing Legal Education every three years and devotes a substantial portion of his practice to Elder Law -- in this case 100%. In short, if you have questions, we have answers.
Call today to schedule your family consultation.
706-428-0888
Our law office is conveniently located in Dalton, Georgia.
We serve clients in Dalton Georgia, Whitfield County Georgia, Chatsworth Georgia, Murray County, Georgia, Ringgold Georgia, Fort Oglethorpe Georgia, Catoosa County Georgia, LaFayette Georgia, Walker County Georgia, Elijay Georgia, Gilmer County Georgia, Trinton Georgia, Dade County Georgia, Calhoun Georgia, Gordon County Georgia, Cartersville Georgia, Bartow County Georgia, Rome Georgia, Floyd County Georgia, Chattanooga Tennessee, Hamilton County, Tennessee, Cleveland Tennessee, Bradley County Tennessee and surrounding areas.
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