Harrison & Johnston’s Elder Law practice helps seniors and their families navigate the unique financial and practical challenges that arise as we age, working closely with them to lay the foundation for years of security, dignity, and happiness.
Sound Guidance for Seniors and Their Families
The joys of our golden years – retirement, activities and pursuits we love, playing with grandchildren – often come accompanied by unique needs and challenges. Our health and wellness may require more attention and resources, and the changing aspects of our finances may become complicated.
The issues facing seniors and the families who love and care for them call for practical and legal solutions crafted specifically for the latter part of our lives. At Harrison & Johnston, the attorneys in our Elder Law practice develop individually tailored solutions and provide sound guidance designed to maintain and enhance the quality of our clients’ lives and provide them with invaluable peace of mind for the years and decades ahead.
What Is Elder Law?
In its simplest sense, elder law is about ensuring that older individuals have the resources they need to be healthy and happy as they age. In this area of the law, “resources” means more than financial reserves; it includes having trusted individuals available and appointed to assist with care needs as they arise. Even people who are relatively secure financially can find themselves suddenly overwhelmed by the costs and practical intricacies of an unexpected illness, the need for long-term or specialized care, and other expenses.
It is an area of law that focuses specifically on working with seniors, including individuals receiving government benefits. Our firm is particularly adept at addressing the long-term care needs of seniors, implementing strategies to pay for the often-astronomical costs of such care without depleting a lifetime’s worth of savings or placing an undue burden on spouses, children or other loved ones.
Our attorneys are at the forefront of elder law in the Commonwealth. Ari Sommer, leader of our elder law practice, serves on the Board of Directors for the Virginia Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, where he is actively involved in reviewing and shaping public policy and legislation that impacts our older clients.
Our Elder Law Services
We assist clients throughout the Shenandoah Valley with a wide range of elder law matters such as:
- Medicaid Pre-Planning
- Long-Term Care Crisis Planning
- Veterans Benefits
- Guardianships and Conservatorships
- Advance Health Care Directives and Living Wills
- Nursing Home and Assisted Living Contracts and Care
- Financial Planning
- Durable Powers of Attorney
- End of Life Planning
