What Is Elder Law?

What is Elder Law? WAGM’s recent article entitled “A Closer Look at Elder Law“ takes a look at what goes into estate planning and elder law.

Wills and estate planning may not be the most exciting things to talk about. However, in this day and age, they can be one of the most vital tools to ensure your wishes are carried out after you’re gone.

People often don’t know what they should do, or what direction they should take.

The earlier you get going and consider your senior years, the better off you’re going to be. For many, it seems to be around 55 when it comes to starting to think about long term care issues.

However, you can start your homework long before that.

The Law Firm of Benjamin Eckman's practice focuses on issues that concern older people. However, it’s not exclusively for older people, since we counsel other family members of the elderly about their concerns.

A big concern for many families is how do I get started and how much planning do I have to do ahead of time?

If you’re talking about an estate plan, what’s stored just in your head is usually enough preparation to get the ball rolling and speak with us. We can create an estate plan that may consists of a basic will, a financial power of attorney, a medical power of attorney and a living will.

What is Elder Law? For long term care planning, people will frequently wait too long to start their preparations, and they’re faced with a crisis. That can entail finding care for a loved one immediately, either at home or in a facility, such as an assisted living home or nursing home. Waiting until a crisis also makes it harder to find specific information about financial holdings.

Some people also have concerns about the estate or death taxes with which their families may be saddled with after they pass away. For the most part, that’s not an issue because the federal estate tax only applies if your estate is worth more than $12.06 million in 2022. New Jersey has an inheritance tax, which is a tax on what you receive as the beneficiary of an estate. 

Therefore, the first thing to do is to recognize that we have two stages. The first is where we may need care during life, and the second is to distribute our assets after death. Make certain that you have both in place.

To discuss What Is Elder Law, book a call with the Law Firm of Benjamin D. Eckman with offices in the Wayne, Union and Hackensack.

Reference: WAGM (Dec. 8, 2021) “A Closer Look at Elder Law“