Elder Law

Serving Clients in Berks County and the Surrounding Area

Are you prepared for the legal matters that arise due to aging? Growing older often forces individuals to make various medical, financial, and end-of-life decisions. This involves establishing a strategic end-of-life plan to protect your property, assets, investments, family, and future generations. Elder law is concerned about caring for our seniors, older adults, and elderly loved ones and preserving their assets.

If you are thinking about elder care or you need proper guidance when drafting your estate plan, consulting with an experienced Pennsylvania estate planning attorney is crucial. At Curran Estate & Elder Law, PLLC, we are committed to offering highly-personalized legal guidance and reliable advocacy to clients in elder law-related matters, including estate planning, guardianship, assisted living, power of attorney, and advanced healthcare directives.

As your legal counsel, we are available to discuss your unique situation, explore your possible legal options, and determine the ideal end-of-life plan that is best for you. Also, our attorneys will work meticulously to address your needs and concerns and help you in a way that works best for you. Curran Estate & Elder Law, PLLC proudly serves clients in Berks County, PA, and throughout Berks County and the neighboring counties of Schuylkill, Montgomery, Lancaster, Chester, and Lebanon.

What is Elder Law?

Elder law is an aspect of law that covers various legal issues affecting seniors and older people, their loved ones, close relatives, and caretakers. It entails representing and counseling older adults in the legal matters of estate planning. An elder law attorney can:

• Advocate for the older adults and their family members.
• Guide family members through important decisions that affect their elder loved ones.
• Help senior citizens prepare for financial freedom and autonomy.
• Handle a huge spectrum of legal matters, including guardianship, long-term care planning, Medicare/Medicaid, Social Security, retirement, and other important subjects.

An experienced life care planning attorney can walk you through the estate planning process and make sure your estate planning documents are well-detailed, valid, and up-to-date.

Estate Planning

Estate planning involves making plans in advance and providing detailed instructions regarding how you want your property and assets to be managed, distributed, or disposed of when you die or after sudden incapacitation. Estate planning allows you to achieve the following:

• Prepare for an uncertain future.
• Protect your assets, property, investments, and interests.
• Specify medical and end-of-life decisions.
• Determine what happens to your estate and who will inherit your property and assets.
• Make sufficient provision for surviving family members, spouses, and other relatives.
• Protect investments and assets from frivolous lawsuits and creditors.
• Help beneficiaries avoid inheritance, estate, and gift taxes.
• Name a trusted person as your personal representative
• Mitigate possible family disputes and conflicts regarding asset distribution.
• Bypass probate (by creating a trust).
• Ensure that you don't die intestate (without a will).

Creating a comprehensive estate plan can help protect your assets and family's future and get your affairs in order. A knowledgeable Pennsylvania estate planning attorney can enlighten you about your possible options and help you make intelligent decisions.

Healthcare/Long-Term Care Issues

Long-term care involves a huge selection of services aimed at helping individuals achieve their personal care and healthcare needs over a given period. With long-term care, you may be able to live safely and independently in the event of a disability, incapacitation, or medical condition that makes you unable to perform your day-to-day tasks by yourself. An experienced attorney can review your advance care planning options and determine the best course of action.

Guardianship

Guardianship is a fiduciary relationship or legal arraignment established by state law, in which a court will appoint a person or entity (the guardian) to make decisions about the personal care, property, legal, and financial affairs of a disabled or incapacitated adult.

In Pennsylvania, guardianship is often established in an elderly person's best interests. Here are some benefits of guardianship:

• It helps avoid exploitation.
• It provides security for the incapacitated person.
• It helps avoid any unnecessary delays or complications when signing documents for social benefits or government assistance.
• It helps prevent many financially terrible situations from happening.
• The guardian will provide adequate care for the incapacitated adult.
• The guardian can help manage the incapacitated person's property and financial affairs.

A knowledgeable attorney can enlighten you about the rights and responsibilities of a legal guardian and walk you through every step involved in the guardianship process.

Work with an Experienced Attorney

Navigating the numerous legal matters that arise as a result of advanced age often involves several complex procedures. In the event that you become incapacitated, severely ill, unavailable, or otherwise unable to voice your exact wishes, you can protect your property, assets, and family's future by establishing a strategic end-of-life plan. An experienced elder law attorney can enlighten you about your available options and help you make intelligent decisions.

At Curran Estate & Elder Law, PLLC, we are dedicated to providing experienced legal services and guiding clients through the complexities of estate planning and elder law. As your legal counsel, we can evaluate your unique situation and explore the various legal options that may be available to you. Also, our trusted attorneys will help you draft vital end-of-life documents and outline a strategic estate plan that best suits your unique needs.