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In its October 30, 2000, issue Time magazine reportson the development of the legal specialty of elder law, which it describes as a"kinder, gentler type of law for seniors." According to the article, this new breed of attorneysis responding to the surge inthe number of seniors, and the unique set of legal problems they face because of the kinds of life changes that occur as we growolder. Kate Mewhinney, a clinical professor at WakeForest University School of Law, described some types of elder law problems forTime: "A woman here this week said, ''I wake up in the middle of thenight worrying about if I have to go into a nursing home.'' She''s 79, veryhealthy. She said, ''I really worry. Will I lose everything? Will I lose my home? Where do I stand in terms of Medicaid? Fortunately, we can give here some advance information." Joseph Rosenberg, a CUNY law professor similarlysuggested, "People should review whatever estate planning they''ve alreadydone." Elder law attorneys can help people review their estateplans, augment their plans with advancedhealth-care directives, draft trusts and wills, and create plans to protect assets in the event that long-term care isnecessary. Of the 10,000 elder law attorneys nationwide, many belong to the National Academy of Elder LawAttorneys. NAELA is an association of attorneys who specialize in handling the personal issues that seniors face. To searchfor an experienced and reputable elder law attorney on-line, click on Findan Attorney above.
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