Careful, Thoughtful Preparation Today Makes Decisions Easier in the Future At the Highland law office of estate planning attorney Barbara Shaver, we provide estate planning and probate services for families all along the life cycle; from families with young children to elders contemplating the eventual need for nursing home care. Whatever your estate planning goals, we can help with sound legal guidance and meticulous document preparation.
Contact our office to schedule a free initial consultation to learn more. Meeting the Estate Planning Needs of EldersThe best time to plan for the future is when you are healthy and managing your life well. If possible, don't wait for a crisis or illness to occur before you consider what would happen if you needed nursing home care or someone to handle your finances. With prior planning, there is much that can be done to protect your assets and allow a person you trust to manage your affairs. At the law office of Barbara Shaver, Attorney at Law, we encourage our elder clients and their adult children, if the family will be involved, to consider a comprehensive estate plan that covers all the issues that might arise. - Health care documents: a living will, a health care power of attorney to allow someone to make decisions on your behalf, and a HIPAA release so medical information can be shared with a family member
- Nursing home planning and Medicaid planning: A special needs trust can be used to shelter a portion of family assets so an elder can qualify for Medicaid nursing home assistance while not impoverishing others in the family. It is essential to act as soon as possible to protect some assets for a healthy spouse who may continue to live at home.
- Durable power of attorney: This document allows someone to make decisions on behalf of an elder who needs help managing financial affairs or legal contracts.
- A legal will or trust: These tools transfer your assets to the next generation (see a list of trusts they may work for you, below).
With the proper documents in place, legal guardianships can often be avoided. Attorney Shaver also helps families go to court when a loved one is in need of guardianship. Meeting the Estate Planning Needs of Younger FamiliesYounger families are typically concerned with the care and support of children. Naming a guardian to care for your children if you are unable to do so is one of the most important things you can do to ensure your children are raised by people who share your values. Property can be passed along with a will, but a trust allows greater financial oversight to ensure money is spent properly and wisely. We can explain the many types of trusts available and help you choose the one that is best suited for your goals, such as: - Living trusts
- Educational trusts
- Irrevocable life insurance trusts (known as "ILETs")
- Revocable and irrevocable trusts
- Charitable trusts
- Family trusts
- Marital trusts
We invite you to learn more about our firm and how we can help you achieve your estate planning goals. Contact estate planning lawyer Barbara Shaver at our Highland law office for a free initial consultation. Barbara M. Shaver
Attorney at Law9013 Indianapolis Boulevard
Highland, IN 46322-2522
Telephone: (219) 838-9200 ● Fax: (219) 972-7110
Map and Driving Directions ● E-Mail UsHighland, Indiana estate planning, elder law, and probate lawyer Barbara Shaver provides a wide range of legal services for the typical Indiana family, including estate planning and probate services, family law, real estate, and drunk-driving defense. Our office serves clients in Lake County and Porter County, Indiana, in communities such as Highland, Munster, Dyer, St. John, Schererville, Lowell, Valparaiso, Porter, Chesterton, Merrillville, and Crown Point.
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