--- title: "What is Elder Law and Do You Need an Elder Care Attorney?" description: "Learn what services an elder care attorney provides and how to hire one. They can help you with your long-term care questions and needs." url: https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/paying-for-care/elder-law-attorney/ publisher: HomeCare.com phone: 800-974-3458 start: https://care.homecare.com/?source=homecare.com --- Paying for care # What is Elder Law and Do You Need an Elder Care Attorney? Published February 5, 20172 min readBy HomeCare.com ![Elder Law-Attorney](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/_astro/522ea4d06fc3d60d9500e70dcbfb3b55-elder-law-attorney.BhNI1O0H_1EbjNc.webp) Questions about care for your family? [800-974-3458](tel:+18009743458) First things first, what is an elder law attorney? Elder law attorneys can assist you with a wide range of different issues related to your senior care needs. For instance, if you are having any problems navigating through Medicaid, Veteran’s benefits, estate planning or even [long-term care planning](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/paying-for-care/5-long-term-care-myths/) an elder law attorney can help you. The decision to hire an elder law attorney may be difficult if you previously didn’t consider the costs in your overall senior care budget – but the decision may also take some weight off your shoulders since they have expertise in complicated details. ## What can an Elder Law Attorney do for me? While considering the wellbeing of your senior loved one, an elder law attorney can help you navigate through several complex decisions. - Preservation of assets for your senior loved one - Social security and disability claims/appeals - Supplemental and long-term health insurance issues - Disability planning – [Power of Attorney (POA)](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/paying-for-care/managing-parents-finances/), living trusts, and living wills - Administration of trusts and estates - Long term care placements in nursing homes and life care communities - Elder abuse and fraud recovery cases - Public and private retirement benefits, survivor benefits, and pension benefits ## Hiring an Elder Law Attorney When searching for an elder law attorney, seek referrals and advice from peers. A referral is very important, because you want to make sure you hire someone who you can depend on with very sensitive information. I encourage you to speak with your friends, family, accountant, perhaps even a lawyer you are currently working with. If you are having a hard time finding a referral; contact your local bar association. They will be able to provide you with a contact in the area you are seeking. Also, when you are soliciting the services of an elder law attorney, make sure you evaluate their credentials. They must be registered by the Bar in the state that they are practicing law in. You should also consider researching the members of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorney’s (NAELA) group because these Attorneys have exactly the expertise you need. Remember, Elder Law Attorney’s will have connections with psychologists, social workers and other elder care professionals that could be helpful to you as you navigate through this journey. This article was first published on HomeCare.com on February 5, 2017. Program rules and costs change; see our [current cost data](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/cost-of-home-care/) and [guides](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/guides/) for up-to-date figures. ## Terms in this article - [Elder law attorney](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/elder-law-attorney/) - [Power of attorney](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/power-of-attorney/) - [Elder abuse](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/elder-abuse/) - [Medicaid](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/medicaid/) ## Keep reading - [**5 Myths about Long-Term Care**We assembled 5 common misconceptions about long term care, from how much care costs to questions about Medicare and health insurance coverage](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/paying-for-care/5-long-term-care-myths/) - [**How to Manage Aging Parents’ Financial Expenses**Learn why you should consider getting Power of Attorney (POA), ideas to make finances less burdensome, and how to talk about the subject with family.](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/paying-for-care/managing-parents-finances/) - [**Home Care vs Home Health Care: Which Does Your Parent Need?**Home care is non-medical help with daily life, such as bathing, meals, rides and company. Home health care is skilled medical care, like nursing or therapy,...](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/guides/home-care-vs-home-health-care/) - [**How Many Hours of Home Care Does Your Parent Need? A Simple Needs Checklist**Count what your parent cannot do alone, and when. A few tasks a week may need two to four hours of visits. Help with bathing, meals and mobility every day...](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/guides/how-many-hours-of-home-care-do-i-need/) - [**Live-In Care vs 24-Hour Care: How to Choose**Live-in care means one caregiver lives in the home and needs breaks and sleep. 24-hour care means a team of caregivers works shifts, so someone is always...](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/guides/live-in-vs-24-hour-care/) - [**What 24-Hour and Live-In Home Care Really Cost**At the national median of $35 an hour, round-the-clock care by shifts works out to an estimated $840 a day, $5,880 a week and about $25,550 a month. Live-in...](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/guides/24-hour-and-live-in-care-cost/) ## Talk to a care advisor today. Free consultation. No minimums, no contracts. [800-974-3458](tel:+18009743458) [Call a care advisor](tel:+18009743458)[Find a caregiver online](https://care.homecare.com/?source=homecare.com) ![A caregiver and an older woman looking at a tablet together](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/_astro/personal-hero.DqUYygP8_1Sv1FH.webp)