G Brent Powers Law Office
3715 Beck Rd D-401, St Joseph, MO 64506
Q5QW+6R St Joseph, Missouri
18162330257
https://gbrentpowerslaw.com/
Nursing Home Lawyer in St. Joseph Mo
Where Can I Find a Nursing Home Lawyer in St. Joseph Mo?

We are here to help you, your family, make informed decisions and plan on Elder Law topics such as Medicaid planning, estate and asset protection. Everybody has their own path to "golden years". Unfortunately, this path has become more complex over the years. Our firm prides itself in providing customized solutions for our clients. We are available to answer any questions you may have about your home, farm or real estate deeds.

Elder Law

Elder Law is a specialist practice that offers senior citizens guidance and help with their legal needs. As we get older, there are many more issues that we face than we did when we were younger. These include long-term care, housing, retirement and wealth transfers. Elder Law addresses these and other issues that affect the elderly.

Many elderly citizens fear they might lose their home, savings and everything that they have worked so hard to earn. They don’t want the burden of being a burden on their families or society.

With his thoughtful and skilled advice, Brent has brought peace of mind to thousands families in Saint Joseph and Northwest Missouri. With over 30 years experience, he can assist clients in developing estate plans, property transfers, deeds probate, power-of- attorney, trusts and other legal needs of senior citizens.

Brent will help you to create an Elder Law plan. Call Brent today.

Nursing Home Medicaid Planning It's never too early for you to start planning for Medicaid, long-term or even short-term care. Many people are unaware of the benefits of Medicaid and have not planned for it. Many families don't know who can be eligible for Medicaid or how their spouse and family can benefit from it. It is crucial to hire a nursing home attorney who has experience and is committed to helping families.

Many families have saved thousands of dollars by using Brent's effective nursing home Medicaid planning. Brent is a licensed nursing home lawyer and would like to share some key points about Medicaid. While most of the information you hear about nursing home Medicaid is accurate, it's almost always incorrect.

It is almost never too soon or too late for planning.

Even if your loved one moves to a nursing facility, they can still be eligible for Medicaid assistance.

It is important to understand the legal strategies and protections for spouses and families of residents in nursing homes. People often fear that their loved one or spouse will move into a nursing home, and they may lose their home and financial savings. This is almost impossible to prevent in most cases.

There are many financial safeguards available for couples and elderly without jeopardizing Nursing Home Medicaid eligibility.

Division of Assets

The "Spousal Impoverishment" Act was passed by Congress in 1988. It was intended to prevent married couples from having to spend all their assets before one spouse is eligible for nursing home Medicaid. The spouse who stays in the home (the "Community Spouse") is allowed to keep some of their resources while the spouse who requires Medicaid (the"Institutionalized Spouse") may receive benefits.

The law also established limits on the assets the Community Spouse can retain, if the Institutionalized Spouse will be eligible for benefits. These limits are often referred to as Community Spouse Resource Allowances (CSRA). Missouri's Community Spouse may retain at most $25,728 or $128.640.00. This amount is adjusted every year to reflect inflation and costs of living. The Division of Assets is the process Missouri Medicaid uses to determine the amount that the Community Spouse can keep within the range.

The Division of Assets takes effect on the first day of the Medicaid applicant's admission to a hospital/nursing house for at minimum 30 consecutive days. The spouses' countable assets (which does not include a small amount of assets that may be exempt) is divided into two. Each spouse gets their share. It doesn't really matter who the asset belongs to, as the assets of both spouses are combined in determining the Division. This means that the assets of the spouse with significantly more assets will be reduced. It is crucial to consult an Elder Law lawyer to help you navigate this process. This will ensure that everyone's rights are protected. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that 86% widows don't have enough income to cover the costs of caring for their spouses.

As an example, suppose John and Mary are married and have $300,000 in assets. John is demented and needs nursing home care. The Medicaid caseworker assigns the $300,000 worth of financial assets to Mary, who will then CSRA $128,640 and John $171,360. John must have less that $5,000 to be eligible for Medicaid. John's assets must be paid down by the family, who will then have to spend $166.360. John and Mary will then be asked to spend 55% on their savings in order for John to become eligible for Medicaid. It is easy to see why 86% of spouses who survive are living below poverty line due to their spouse's medical costs.

John and Mary don't have any need to spend their entire life savings if they are able to plan well and get the advice of an experienced Medicaid Asset Protection attorney, such as G. Brent Powers. You can avoid an unpleasant and costly situation by making sure you have the right legal strategies in place.

What if you didn't plan ahead? Do you think all is lost? Is it all over? Mary could retain almost all of her financial assets by using a "Marital Medicaid Compliant Anuity". Even if John is in a nursing facility, Mary can still use the Annuity. G Brent Powers has the knowledge and expertise required to ensure Mary's financial security.

Brent always makes time to meet in person with clients before presenting or applying for a court appearance.

Real Estate / Deeds

As people grow older, they begin to think about how best to transfer their home, farmland, or other properties to their loved ones or others. Others might need assistance selling real property without a broker.

Each family's situation should be evaluated in order to determine the best course. Are there any benefits to gifting property now to your children? What happens when you or your spouse need long-term, or nursing home care. What living trust would be the best? What are the tax implications of transferring property? Do you need to borrow money from the owner in order to sell your property?

Over the years, Brent has helped many families make the right decisions when it comes to transferring their home, farm, and business properties.

Estate Planning

Proper estate plan means maintaining control over your assets, continuing to provide for you and your loved ones even when you're incapacitated, and distributing your property to the beneficiaries you desire at the lowest possible cost.

Proper planning requires that we consider the unique needs of your family and their assets. Only then, can we decide which documents and strategies are needed to make your planning work.

Brent can also help you to create a proper estate plan.

Administration of trusts

Brent is available to assist you in determining the best way of handling your affairs.

Brent Powers was a lawyer in Saint Joseph since 1980.

His career began as a trial attorney. However, due to his parents' needs and the many referrals, he moved to Elder Law, Medicaid nursing homes planning and Division of Assets.

He was the president of Saint Joseph Bar Association and volunteered for a number of community boards. He also participated in many events sponsored by Saint Joseph Bar Association to provide sound legal advice to people in need.

Brent is a native Missourian, having grew to be a Saint Josephian.

He graduated from Central High School. He received his undergraduate and law degrees at the University of Missouri.

He is an active member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys

These national organizations provide education and training as well as a network of experts for member attorneys in order to assist seniors and people with special disabilities.