Winston-Salem Elder Law Attorneys

Our Elder Law Practice

We work closely with individuals in retirement or approaching retirement and their families who want to take active steps to plan for later life. We work to insure that your assets are protected, wills are in place and updated, powers of attorney are in place, and advanced directives have been considered and are in place if desired. Often our clients have children or other family members with special needs or situations that require careful planning. We can help by preparing special needs trusts, supplemental needs trusts, discretionary trusts, or income trusts as the situation may require. We will help you effectively plan to maximize the benefits your family members receive through Medicaid, and to effectively transfer ownership of property to others, so that they don’t lose everything you worked so hard to build.

As a result of injury, disease, or old age, all of us are at risk of becoming incapacitated or being unable to act for ourselves, either permanently or temporarily, at some point in our lives. Without a durable power of attorney in place, there is no one that can legally act on your behalf. An incompetency proceeding may have to be filed in Court, and after a Court hearing, a guardian appointed for you. This is expensive and time consuming. Let us help you with a durable power of attorney so that this expense may be avoided. If your loved one has failed to plan and doesn’t have a durable power of attorney, we will help you file an incompetency proceeding and obtain guardianship.

In most instances, it is never too early to start planning for the likelihood of long-term care. We can help you evaluate your options, including the use of private insurance to pay for long term care. We can help you set up trusts or otherwise transfer title to property, so that it goes to your spouse or child, rather than a nursing home facility. We can also help you jointly title property, such as real estate, to minimize the risk of loss.

North Carolina Medicaid Planning Lawyers

Whether you are at an advanced age or not, and whether your health is such that you anticipate the eventual need for long-term care, it is still a sound idea to plan for the preservation of your assets, should nursing home or assisted living become necessary. Due to longer life spans and the expense of long term care, individuals and families may not have sufficient assets to pay for all the long-term nursing care that is needed, and Medicaid must be used. The Medicaid rules and regulations are extremely complex and frequently change. Doing something a neighbor did with his parent a few years back is fraught with peril. Let us help you navigate through the complex Medicaid rules and regulations so that everything you worked so hard to build and save will not be lost. You want an experienced attorney to help you put measures in place to help you qualify for Medicaid and protect your estate and heirs to the extent possible.

At the law office of Stroud & Panetti, P.C., our attorneys both have more than 25 years of experience protecting the rights of people in and around Winston-Salem. We have assisted clients at all stages of life, including planning for the client’s financial well-being in retirement. We take a straightforward approach to elder law issues, working directly with you at all times, and keeping you fully informed of all developments in your case as well as your options and your likelihood of success.

Contact Stroud & Panetti, P.C.

To set up a meeting with one of our experienced Winston-Salem elder law attorneys, contact us by e-mail or call us at 336-724-2600. We offer after-hours appointments upon request. Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover are welcome.