As someone who practices in the area of “Elder Law” I am often asked. What is elder law? The purpose of this article is to answer that question. Elder Law generally describes the clients that an elder law attorney works with: people on various spectrums of the aging process, and their families. An Elder Law attorney uses a collaborative approach, working with other professionals to ensure that a client’s unique needs are being met. This includes working with financial advisors, CPAs, banks, trust companies, insurance agents, medical professionals, social workers and case workers.
An Elder Law attorney also practices in a wide variety of areas in order to meet the client’s needs. Some of these areas include: estate planning, long-term care planning, trust administration, probate and guardianships. These areas often overlap, and include some areas that most regular estate planning attorneys provide. The difference is that an elder law attorney has a specialized focus on the issues that pertain specifically to aging clients, and how to best serve them now and in the future.