Slater Law Office LLC
Indiana Elder Law and Special Needs Trust Attorneys
Slater Law Office LLC is a full service elder law and special needs law firm, serving the people of Hamilton County, the Greater Indianapolis Area, and the State of Indiana. We have been providing clients with exceptional elder law representation since 1991, representing and assisting individuals in matters including wills and estate planning, asset protection, Medicaid planning, nursing home placement and financing, trust and probate administration, special needs trusts, guardianships, advanced directives, planning for incapacity, and end-of-life issues.
Our firm sets a new standard in excellence, combining our collective wealth of legal and medical experience with a comfortable environment where your issues will be discussed in plain terms. We pride ourselves on offering exemplary personalized and professional service to our clients.
Planning for your future can be one of the most important things you do. Your wishes should be known in the event that you cannot speak for yourself, so that you and your loved ones will be provided for in the future. Elder Law and Special Needs Trusts are our areas of expertise.
Attorneys of Hamilton County, Greater Indianapolis Area and Indiana.
Senior elder law attorney, George G. Slater, obtained his law degree from Indiana University in Indianapolis, holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration from Northwestern University, and is also a CPA. George has devoted the past 17 years of his 27 year legal career exclusively practicing elder law.
Nancy F. Slater Nancy F. Slater was a practicing physician in Indiana prior to joining Slater Law Office LLC, having earned her law degree from Indiana University in Indianapolis in 1998. Clients find that her medical background allows Nancy to really understand the medical terms and conditions involved in their unique situations, and to better help in planning for the future needs of a disabled loved one. Nancy and George both pride themselves on making sure you understand the details and implications of every action taken, and every document signed.
Home, Hospital and Nursing Home Visits
Flexible appointment times are available for your convenience. Our elder law attorneys will make home, hospital, or nursing home visits if you are unable to travel to our office.
Areas of Practice
We offer estate administration services, durable powers of attorney, wills, trusts, guardianships, and estate probate administration. Our estate planners are familiar with the continually changing federal and Indiana laws and estate tax codes and keep you aware of changes which affect you.
Indiana Nursing Homes & Long Term Care
Long term care costs often exceed what people can pay. Approximately four out of every ten people reaching age 65 will require some care in a nursing home. Others may need so called "assisted living" while those lucky enough to be able to stay in their own home will require expensive assistance with the needs of daily living in order to stay "independent." Our elder law attorneys stand ready to help you figure out how to cope in your unique circumstances.
Medicaid is one of the most complicated facets of elder law, and our attorneys are adept at handling the rigors of paperwork and fine print. In 2005 the enactment of the Deficit Reduction Act significantly changed the rules concerning asset transfers and penalty periods involved in applying for Medicaid. It is advisable to consult an expert about your rights under this complex Act and other Medicaid rules and the effect they can have on your financial and estate planning and asset protection. Our elder law attorneys stay abreast of changes in Medicaid law and policy to make sure you are getting accurate and current advice.
A special needs trust is a means, allowed under federal and Indiana law, of providing asset protection for a mentally or physically disabled child or adult to use for the supplemental needs that are not provided by publicly funded benefit programs such as Medicaid and SSI, while still allowing the person to maintain eligibility for these needed public benefit programs.
If a pooled special needs trust is involved, a trust sub-account may be set up by the disabled individual himself. Federal and state laws require that all other special needs trusts must be set up by a parent, a grandparent, a guardian of the disabled individual, or the court, although the trust may be funded with assets given by anyone. Our special needs trusts attorneys will work with you and your family every step of the way to find a solution that best fits your needs and situation.
Please visit our Site Map for a full list of resource pages, or contact us today to discuss your case personally with our experienced Indiana elder law attorneys.
In The News
'Special needs' grows as elder-law niche: In the view of many trusts and estates lawyers, "special needs" law has developed into an important niche practice area.
Three elder-law attorneys recently launched the Academy of Special Needs Planners, believing that it is time for a group devoted to lawyers, other professionals and consumers seeking information and advice about special needs planning.
"Special needs" law deals with the financial and care needs of individuals with physical or learning disabilities - many of whom are the middle-aged children of aging Americans planning their retirement /
"It's a growing area for a variety of reasons," said Harry S. Margolis, one of the Academy's founders.
"In previous generations, having a disability meant a shorter life span, but that's not true any more," he noted. "And there are a lot more older clients who are taking care of children with special needs. So ultimately, the question comes up - 'What plans do you have in place for them?'"
By Dick Dahl, Staff Writer, Lawyers USA
© 2006, Lawyers Weekly