Bloomfield Hills, MI, Elder Law

If you have made your home in Bloomfield Hills and plan to live out your life there, you’ve made an excellent choice. While thinking about your future, remember that an elder law firm can help you solve many issues that can arise as you get older, including estate planning and planning for long-term care. We can also help you resolve problems your older loved ones may face, such as medical decision-making and the possible need for a guardian or conservator.

Bingham Legal Group PC is an elder law firm serving the Bloomfield Hills, Michigan community. We provide many different elder law services, including consumer protection and protection from abuse and neglect. If you need help with elder law issues in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, contact Bingham Legal Group PC today.

Elder Law Services We Provide in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

At Bingham Legal Group PC, we can help with any elder law issues you or your loved ones may face in Bloomfield Hills, including:

• Estate planning services
• Long-term care planning
• Petitions for guardianship and conservatorship
• Power of attorney and designation of patient advocate
• Veterans’ benefits and Social Security
• Protecting elders from abuse and neglect
• Consumer protection

If you have a legal issue affecting an older person, we can help.

Estate Planning Services

As people age, one of the main issues they face is how to protect their assets and ensure that they are passed down properly after they are gone. The first step to resolving this issue is to write a will, select a personal representative to administer your estate, and specify your beneficiaries and what you want them to receive.

However, a will may not be enough on its own. When you pass away, your estate will go through a process known as probate to validate your will and pay off your debts before your heirs can inherit. Probate is not a quick process, and most people prefer to avoid it as much as possible.

You can keep your assets out of probate with a comprehensive estate plan. A good estate plan includes:

• A valid will that names your executor and beneficiaries
• Trusts to protect your assets and keep them out of probate
• Planning for your medical and financial needs as you get older

If you need to write a will, establish a trust, or create a comprehensive estate plan, contact a trusted, local elder law firm that serves Bloomfield Hills.

Long-Term Care Planning

Long-term care is one of the biggest expenses most older people will have, but careful planning can bring the expense under control and ensure that you get the care you need. An elder law firm familiar with long-term care and nursing home care planning can show you how to cover your costs while protecting your assets. It’s important to start thinking about long-term care early. Some benefits you may qualify for are subject to a five-year lookback period that can complicate the planning process.

Petitions for Guardianship and Conservatorship

If you have an older loved one who can no longer manage their own affairs, you can petition a court to appoint a guardian or conservator for them. A guardian is responsible for making personal or medical decisions for an incapacitated person. You will also need the court to appoint a conservator to handle your loved one’s financial affairs.

A petition for guardianship:

• States that your loved one cannot make or communicate informed decisions
• Lists reasons such as illness, disability, or mental deficiency
• Asks the court to appoint a guardian with full or limited legal powers

A petition for conservatorship:

• States that your loved one can no longer manage their property or business affairs
• Lists reasons such as illness, disability, or mental deficiency
• Asks the court to appoint a specific person as conservator, with the authority to make financial decisions

An elder law firm can help you complete and file a petition for guardianship or conservatorship.

Power of Attorney and Designation of Patient Advocate

If you want to avoid a situation in which your family needs to ask a court to appoint a guardian or a conservator, the best way is to fill out a power of attorney form and a designation of patient advocate as part of your estate plan.

A financial power of attorney designates an agent who will make financial decisions for you if you ever become incapacitated. A designation of patient advocate form, also known as a healthcare power of attorney, does the same for your medical decisions. Including these forms in your estate plan allows you to retain more control in case of incapacitation.

Veterans’ Benefits and Social Security

Filling out forms to apply for veterans’ or Social Security benefits can be stressful or overwhelming. If you make an error in the application, your benefits could be delayed or denied. An elder law firm that serves Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, can help you complete the forms correctly and send them in before the deadline.

If you need to appeal a denial of benefits, your elder law attorneys can handle your appeal. They can also explain what benefits you qualify for and help you minimize your taxes on those benefits.

Protection Against Elder Abuse and Neglect 

Abuse and neglect by caregivers is a tragically common problem for older adults. If you think a caregiver has been abusing or neglecting your family member, your first step should be to report the abuse. Your second step should be to move your loved one if they continue to be in danger. Your next step should be to contact an elder law firm and seek compensation for the mistreatment of your loved one and the expenses for moving them from one facility to another.

Consumer Protection

Has your loved one been scammed by a manipulative telemarketer or sold a defective or useless product? Sadly, older adults are often targets of con artists and fraudsters. If a family member needs help with a consumer protection issue, an elder law firm can seek recovery of what they’ve lost.

Contact a Bloomfield Hills, Michigan Elder Law Firm Immediately

As you get older, you will face many legal issues that you have never faced before, from the need to plan for long-term care and protect your assets after death to the need to protect yourself from fraud, abuse, and neglect. An elder law firm can help you face these issues with confidence.

Take care to select a firm with extensive elder law experience. A law firm that focuses on elder law will be more likely to find creative solutions to your problems than a firm that handles many other aspects of the law and treats elder law as one service among many.

Bingham Legal Group PC is an elder law firm serving Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. With over 60 years of combined experience, our attorneys are prepared to assist with any problem you may face as an older adult. We can also help if you are caring for an older loved one and need assistance with their financial affairs or medical decision-making.

If you need to go to court about any elder law issue, we are always ready and willing to do so. While many of our clients find a courtroom intimidating, to our attorneys, it is more like a second home. We are always happy to fight for our clients’ rights. If you need help with elder law issues in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, contact Bingham Legal Group PC today.