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're here to assist you and your family in making informed decisions on Elder Law issues like estate planning, nursing home Medicaid planning, and asset protection. Every person is on a unique journey towards their "golden" years. Unfortunately, the process has become more complicated with each passing year. Our firm prides themselves on providing unique solutions and planning that are tailored to each client's needs. We are available to answer any questions you may have about your home, farm or real estate deeds.

Elder Law

Elder Law is a special practice that assists seniors with their legal issues. As we age, many issues arise that are not common in our younger years. These include housing, long-term care, wealth transfers and retirement. Elder Law includes these and many other areas that concern 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.

Brent's thoughtful and professional advice has given peace of mind for thousands of families in Saint Joseph, Northwest Missouri. He has more than 30 years' experience working with clients to design estate plans and real estate transfers.

Brent can help you create a plan that suits your needs and learn more about Elder Law.

Nursing Home Medicaid Planning. It's never too late to begin planning for Medicaid and long term care. Many people are unaware of the benefits of Medicaid and have not planned for it. Many families don’t know who is eligible, or how they can benefit from nursing home Medicaid planning. It is important to find a skilled and dedicated Nursing Home Attorney who is committed to helping families.

Through effective nursing home Medicaid planning Brent has helped many families in our community save hundreds of thousands of dollars. As a Nursing Home Lawyer, Brent would advise a few key things to remember when it comes to Medicaid - Brent, a nursing home lawyer, would recommend a few key points to remember about Medicaid. Most of what people tell you about nursing facility Medicaid is not accurate.

It is almost never too late or too early to plan.

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

It's crucial to know the legal protections and strategies available for the spouse and their family members of a resident in a nursing home. People are often afraid that they might lose their home or their life savings if their spouse or a loved one must move into a nursing care facility. This is almost impossible to prevent in most cases.

Numerous financial safety nets are available for both couples and seniors without jeopardizing Nursing Home Medicaid eligibility.

Division of Assets

The 1988 "Spousal Impoverishment act" was passed by Congress. It was intended to prevent married people from having to give up all their assets in order to qualify for Medicaid nursing home Medicaid. The "Community Spouse" can retain a portion of the couple’s resources while the "Institutionalized Spouse", who is eligible for Medicaid, can receive benefits.

Congress established limits on how many assets the Community Spouse can retain if an Institutionalized Spouse is to be eligible to benefits. These limits are known as the Community Spouse Resource Allowance, (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. Missouri Medicaid allows for a Division of Assets to be used to determine how much the Community Spouse is allowed to keep.

The Division of Assets is calculated the first day a Medicaid applicant is admitted into a hospital/nursing home for at least 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. The Division of Assets does not consider the assets of any one of the spouses. Instead, all assets of the couple are combined. This means that the spouse who has more assets than their spouse will see their assets decrease. This is why it is important to work with an Elder Law attorney to ensure everyone's best interests are protected. According to the Wall Street Journal, 86% of widows are below the poverty line due to the cost of caring for their spouses.

As an example, consider John and Mary as a married couple. John has $300,000 worth of assets. John has dementia. Mary requires 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 $5,000 to qualify for Medicaid. The family will be asked to spend $166,360 on assets that John has been attributed. John and Mary will be required to spend 55% of the savings they have made in order to qualify for Medicaid. If the Community Spouse's assets are reduced by this amount, it's easy to see how 86% end up living below poverty due to their spouse's health care expenses.

John and Mary will not have to spend down any of their life savings if they plan properly and promptly with the help of G. Brent Powers, a qualified Medicaid Asset Protection lawyer. To avoid an expensive and regrettable situation, it is important to prepare the right legal documents and strategies.

What if there was no planning? Do you think all is lost? The good news is that the answer to this question is "no". Mary could still retain nearly all her assets through the use of a "Marital Medicaid compliant Annuity", even though John is currently in a nursing home. 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 they age, people begin to consider how to best transfer their farmland, home, or other property to their loved ones. Others may need assistance with selling property without the aid of a broker.

To find the best path for each family, it is important to assess their individual circumstances. Is it possible to gift property to your children right away? 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?

Brent has assisted hundreds of families over the years to make the right decision when they are transferring a house, farm, or other property.

Estate Planning

Proper estate planning involves maintaining control of your assets and continuing to care for your loved ones. It also means that you can distribute your property after your death to the people you choose, whenever you wish, and at the lowest cost.

Planning should consider the needs of you and your family. Only then can we identify and use the appropriate documents and strategies to ensure that your planning will be as successful as possible.

Brent can assist you in setting up an appropriate estate plan.

Administration of trusts

Brent can help you decide the best way to manage your affairs.

Since 1980, Brent Powers has been practicing law in Saint Joseph and Northwest Missouri.

Although he started his career as a trial lawyer, he was forced to change to Elder Law and Medicaid nursing home planning.

He served as the President of the Saint Joseph Bar Association. He also served on numerous community boards and took part in many events sponsored or organized by the Saint Joseph Bar Association in order to assist people in need of sound legal advice.

Brent is a native Missourian who grew up in Saint Joseph.

He is a Central High School graduate, earned his undergraduate degree from Missouri – Columbia and then received his law degree from Missouri – Kansas City.

He is a member of National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, and the National Organisation of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives.

These national organizations offer training, education, and a national network to support senior citizens and persons with special needs.