Bedford, Texas Elder Law Attorney
Elder law refers to legal matters and planning strategies relating to the elderly — planning for incapacity and long-term care, assuring eligibility for available government benefits and disposition of your estate when you die.
The Livens Law Firm provides comprehensive planning services to coordinate all of these matters to your maximum advantage. We represent retirement age clients or their legal guardians and caregivers. Arrange a free consultation today to discuss your specific situation with our experienced lawyer and staff.
Estate Planning with a Focus on Medicaid Eligibility
The further in advance you plan, the more latitude you will have in protecting assets and keeping them in the family. But it is never too late. Attorney Stephen Livens is knowledgeable in all aspects of elder law:
- Estate planning — You can't assume that your family will know your wishes (or always act in your best interests). We can establish wills, trusts, financial and medical powers of attorney, and living wills if you have not done so, or update your existing documents.
- Medicaid planning — We can shelter most assets without disqualifying a person for Medicaid, even when an elderly person has already entered nursing home care or is about to. We have a former Medicaid employee on staff who can help clients choose a qualifying nursing care or assisted living facility.
- Veterans Aid and Attendance — With proper planning, a military veteran or surviving spouse may qualify for VA benefits even if income or assets exceeds the criteria.
- Long term care insurance — We have several licensed employees who can help you select the appropriate long-term care plan for you.
- Special needs trust — If an elderly person cannot manage his or her own affairs because of mental incapacity, we can establish a third-party trust to maintain Medicaid/SSI eligibility without depleting their assets.
A true elder law attorney understands the interplay between these legal issues. Stephen Livens has over 20 years of experience in estate planning and Medicaid law, and 25 years of experience as a CPA. He can advise on federal program eligibility, allowable gifting of assets, Miller and supplemental needs trusts, and estate tax planning — and make it all work.
Mr. Livens is a member of the National Association of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) and other professional organizations (such as Wealth Counsel), and The Livens Law Firm is endorsed by the AARP.
Call (800) 569-2663 or e-mail us to arrange a free initial consultation. We can meet clients during evenings and weekends by appointment, and we can also make after-hours home visits if that is most convenient to them. We also offer home and nursing home visits for the convenience of our clients, and our office is wheel-chair accessible, with convenient same-level street parking. Based in Bedford, we serve Tarrant County and Dallas County, the Dallas-Fort Worth area and clients throughout Texas.
