Smithville Elder Law Attorney

Taking care of the elderly goes beyond routine concerns of health, safety and companionship. As people age, they need to think about legacy and how any estate they may leave behind will be divided or passed on. These decisions may be handled by the person himself or herself, but they often fall to family members if that person becomes incapacitated. Smithville elder law attorney Jeremy Trapp handles all aspects of elder law for families negotiating end-of-life estate issues, including:

• Probate. Probate is the process of distributing a person’s property upon his or her death. This process usually involves examining a will, paying debts and then transferring the remaining estate to family or other designated parties.
• Estate planning. You may be able to avoid probate by planning in advance. We can help elders and their family members come up with a strategic plan for distributing property and other assets upon the death of the estate’s owner.
• Power of attorney. An elderly person who still has the ability to make decisions can appoint someone to make decisions on his or her behalf should he or she become incapacitated. This person then holds the “power of attorney.” Our office can help you establish such an arrangement.
• Conservatorships/guardianships. If an elderly or disabled person is not in a state where he or she can make decisions or sign over power of attorney, someone then has to step in to take charge of that person’s finances, assets and debts. This is called a conservatorship or a guardianship. Our office can help establish conservatorships or contest them in cases where they are not necessary. Setting up a conservatorship can help to prevent an elderly or disabled person from becoming a victim of financial abuse or undue influence from persons seeking to take advantage of them.
• Living will. A living will dictates what degree of medical treatment a person would accept if he or she were to become incapacitated. Lawyer Jeremy Trapp can describe what is involved in setting up a living will and explain what sorts of decisions need to be made to provide clarity to family members and medical staff if you or a loved one becomes unable to make decisions.

Don’t Wait For Things To Get Worse

The best time to handle elder issues is before they happen. Call our Smithville, Tennessee, office at 615-988-4035 to schedule a free initial consultation to discuss your elder law issues, or email us using the contact form. Se habla español.