JUN 2022 | WWW.LAWYER-MONTHLY.COM financial planners inmy area is that their clients have either too little or too much money to seek my assistance. This is just not true either. I can present almost everyone I meet with options that will either help them avoid the costs or probate or potentially provide options for potentially long-term care costs. However, if they rely on someone who does not understand the rules in these areas, they risk costing their spouse or their heirs a significant amount of money due to costs and expenses that could have been avoided. I understand that most people do not want to talk about these issues or do not like talking to attorneys. However, to most people, outside of their religion and family, their financial wealth is the most important thing to them. To trust something this important to a do-ityourself kit on the internet or someone who is not trained in this area has never made much sense to me. We all work hard to accumulate our wealth and assets. To trust someone who does not know what they are doing with these items seems like a bad idea to me. lawyers will fail to consider Medicaid issues or render opinions based on the same false assumptions that clients have regarding these issues. Some law offices even allow legal assistants who do not attend any formal legal training or continuing legal education to provide clients with advice or to actually perform work on their behalf. I have seen situations where clients have lost a significant amount of money and did not even know they had other options. How can Medicaid planning help to overcome these obstacles? Medicaid planning allows you to learn the options available to you so that you can make an educated decision. The majority of our Medicaid plans have pros and cons that the client must consider. Additionally, there are often a variety of options that a client should consider. When a client knows all of their options and can understand the risks and rewards, they are able to make sound financial decisions. In the majority of cases, we are able to help the clients to make decisions that protect assets either for themselves or their heirs. Proper Medicaid planning allows clients to use strategies to minimise their risk and maximise their asset protection. What are the most essential steps to take when devising a successful Medicaid plan for an individual or a couple? I think this is simple – work with a skilled attorney who focuses specifically in the area of Medicaid planning. Do not use companies that rely on legal assistants or other non-lawyer professionals to create Medicaid plans. With a skilled attorney, clients can rest assured that they have received valuable information regarding their options. What do you foresee in the future of elder care in your jurisdiction? I foresee that Medicaid planning when a person enters a nursing home will becomemore difficult in the near future. Due to the baby boomer generation, I think the amount of individuals needing nursing home assistance is going to grow. Combine that with the fact that Medicaid, like many other agencies, is going to continue to face financial issues, and I believe this will result in fewer planning options at the time an individual actually enters a nursing facility. Thus, I think early planning with a skilled attorney is going to become more important in the near future. Who needs the help of an elder law attorney? I think almost anyone can be a good referral for my office. Even though we call ourselves elder law attorneys, everyone over the age of 18 should have an estate plan in place. I think people who are younger just do not want to take the time to think about these issues, so we generally end up working with people who are a little older. One of the common claims I hear from ELDER LAW - MATTHEW MOORE 25 Matthew C Moore is an attorney and founder of Moore Law, LLC. Matthew has been admitted to practice law in Indiana since 2006 and has over 15 years of experience. Before forming Moore Law, LLC, he worked as an associate and partner at two prior Indiana firms. Born and raised in southeastern Indiana, Matthew has spent the majority of his life serving the people of his community. He enjoys spending time with his wife, Kindra, their two children, and various pets. He has been actively involved in his community his entire life and enjoys serving others. Moore Law, LLC is located in southeastern Indiana, but serves clients throughout the state of Indiana. The firm is primarily dedicated to the practice of elder law, nursing home and Medicaid planning, with an additional focus on personal injury, estate planning, healthcare and probate matters. When a client knows all of their options and can understand the risks and rewards, they are able to make sound financial decisions.
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