Search Articles

Find Attorneys

;

Andre O. McDonald

McDonald Law Firm, LLC

Andre O. McDonald

McDonald Law Firm, LLC

Andre O. McDonald

McDonald Law Firm, LLC

Andre O. McDonald is the founder and principal attorney at McDonald Law Firm, a Columbia based law firm serving clients throughout Howard County, Montgomery County, and the surrounding counties and the District of Columbia in the areas of estate planning, special-needs planning, Medicaid/long-term care planning, and veterans pension planning.

Since Mr. McDonald was admitted to the Maryland Bar, in 2015, in addition to managing a successful law practice, he has served as a volunteer attorney with the Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland and the Bar Association of Baltimore City – Senior Legal Services, where he has helped Maryland low-income seniors with their estate planning needs.  Mr. McDonald served on the Board of Directors of the Howard County Estate Planning Council from 2017-2021. In 2018, Mr. McDonald, was appointed by Governor Larry Hogan, Jr. to serve on the Virginia I. Jones Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Council and he was reappointed by the Governor Larry Hogan, Jr. in 2019 for another term, where he served until 2021.

While in law school, Mr. McDonald served as a student attorney with the Washtenaw County Public Defender Office and the SixtyPlus, Inc., Elderlaw Clinic. At the Public Defender Office, Mr. McDonald advocated on behalf of indigent defendants charged with misdemeanors and felonies. Additionally, Mr. McDonald represented low-income seniors with a wide range of civil matters during his tenure with the SixtyPlus, Inc., Elderlaw Clinic. He also served as the court appointed guardianship reviewer for the Circuit Court of Michigan for Ingham County, Clinton County, and Eaton County. Mr. McDonald served as an Ambassador for the law school, mentoring newly-admitted first-year law students.

Prior to attending law school, Mr. McDonald served our nation as an Enlisted Officer with the United States Marine Corps. He also served for several years as a Federal Security Officer with the Department of Homeland Security where he trained new officers and mediated and resolved disputes regarding officer disciplinary action or officer-management matters. This breadth of experience helps Mr. McDonald deliver legal services and work with clients in a practical, goal-oriented manner.

Firm Description

McDonald Law Firm focuses on the areas of law that individuals and families need to grow, thrive, and succeed throughout their lifetimes. To that end, the firm concentrates its practice in the areas of estate planning, Medicaid/long-term care planning, and special-needs planning, with the goal of meeting clients’ immediate legal needs while also helping them plan for a successful future. The philosophy at McDonald Law Firm is to provide creative, knowledgeable, and detail-oriented legal services tailored to the specific needs of each individual client to help preserve their family's legacy.

Estate Planning: We take the time to sit down with you and discuss your goals for the future. Through the right combination of legal instruments, we help ensure that the needs of you and your family will be taken care of throughout your lifetime, and that your estate is handled according to your wishes after you are gone. 

Medicaid/Long-Term Care Planning: Hand in hand with our estate planning practice, the firm engages in Medicaid planning and asset protection to see to it that the resources you have worked so hard to accumulate over the years are there for you when you need it. 

Special Needs Planning: Just as every child is unique, the way that each parent reacts to learning that their child has a disability is also unique. Some parents may think of the immediate impact that having a child with a disability may have on their lives. Other parents my think about the long-term medical and financial implication on the life of their disabled child. At McDonald Law Firm, we can advise you of your options for future medical and financial resources.

Hours

Day From To
Monday 9:00 AM 5:00 PM
Tuesday 9:00 AM 5:00 PM
Wednesday 9:00 AM 5:00 PM
Thursday 9:00 AM 5:00 PM
Friday 9:00 AM 5:00 PM

Cost

What Is an Elder Law Attorney?

Main Office

2101 L Street, N.W.
Suite 300
Washington, DC 20037

10500 Little Patuxent Parkway
Suite 420
Columbia, MD 21044

7315 Wisconsin Avenue
Suite 800 West
Bethesda, MD 20814

On the web

View Firm Website

View Firm Blog

Social Media


Medicaid 101
What Medicaid Covers

In addition to nursing home care, Medicaid may cover home care and some care in an assisted living facility. Coverage in your state may depend on waivers of federal rules.

READ MORE
How to Qualify for Medicaid

To be eligible for Medicaid long-term care, recipients must have limited incomes and no more than $2,000 (in most states). Special rules apply for the home and other assets.

READ MORE
Medicaid’s Protections for Spouses

Spouses of Medicaid nursing home residents have special protections to keep them from becoming impoverished.

READ MORE
What Medicaid Covers

In addition to nursing home care, Medicaid may cover home care and some care in an assisted living facility. Coverage in your state may depend on waivers of federal rules.

READ MORE
How to Qualify for Medicaid

To be eligible for Medicaid long-term care, recipients must have limited incomes and no more than $2,000 (in most states). Special rules apply for the home and other assets.

READ MORE
Medicaid’s Protections for Spouses

Spouses of Medicaid nursing home residents have special protections to keep them from becoming impoverished.

READ MORE
Medicaid Planning Strategies

Careful planning for potentially devastating long-term care costs can help protect your estate, whether for your spouse or for your children.

READ MORE
Estate Recovery: Can Medicaid Take My House After I’m Gone?

If steps aren't taken to protect the Medicaid recipient's house from the state’s attempts to recover benefits paid, the house may need to be sold.

READ MORE
Help Qualifying and Paying for Medicaid, Or Avoiding Nursing Home Care

There are ways to handle excess income or assets and still qualify for Medicaid long-term care, and programs that deliver care at home rather than in a nursing home.

READ MORE
Are Adult Children Responsible for Their Parents’ Care?

Most states have laws on the books making adult children responsible if their parents can't afford to take care of themselves.

READ MORE
Applying for Medicaid

Applying for Medicaid is a highly technical and complex process, and bad advice can actually make it more difficult to qualify for benefits.

READ MORE
Alternatives to Medicaid

Medicare's coverage of nursing home care is quite limited. For those who can afford it and who can qualify for coverage, long-term care insurance is the best alternative to Medicaid.

READ MORE
ElderLaw 101
Estate Planning

Distinguish the key concepts in estate planning, including the will, the trust, probate, the power of attorney, and how to avoid estate taxes.

READ MORE
Grandchildren

Learn about grandparents’ visitation rights and how to avoid tax and public benefit issues when making gifts to grandchildren.

READ MORE
Guardianship/Conservatorship

Understand when and how a court appoints a guardian or conservator for an adult who becomes incapacitated, and how to avoid guardianship.

READ MORE
Health Care Decisions

We need to plan for the possibility that we will become unable to make our own medical decisions. This may take the form of a health care proxy, a medical directive, a living will, or a combination of these.

READ MORE
Estate Planning

Distinguish the key concepts in estate planning, including the will, the trust, probate, the power of attorney, and how to avoid estate taxes.

READ MORE
Grandchildren

Learn about grandparents’ visitation rights and how to avoid tax and public benefit issues when making gifts to grandchildren.

READ MORE
Guardianship/Conservatorship

Understand when and how a court appoints a guardian or conservator for an adult who becomes incapacitated, and how to avoid guardianship.

READ MORE
Health Care Decisions

We need to plan for the possibility that we will become unable to make our own medical decisions. This may take the form of a health care proxy, a medical directive, a living will, or a combination of these.

READ MORE
Long-Term Care Insurance

Understand the ins and outs of insurance to cover the high cost of nursing home care, including when to buy it, how much to buy, and which spouse should get the coverage.

READ MORE
Medicare

Learn who qualifies for Medicare, what the program covers, all about Medicare Advantage, and how to supplement Medicare’s coverage.

READ MORE
Retirement Planning

We explain the five phases of retirement planning, the difference between a 401(k) and an IRA, types of investments, asset diversification, the required minimum distribution rules, and more.

READ MORE
Senior Living

Find out how to choose a nursing home or assisted living facility, when to fight a discharge, the rights of nursing home residents, all about reverse mortgages, and more.

READ MORE
Social Security

Get a solid grounding in Social Security, including who is eligible, how to apply, spousal benefits, the taxation of benefits, how work affects payments, and SSDI and SSI.

READ MORE
Special Needs Planning

Learn how a special needs trust can preserve assets for a person with disabilities without jeopardizing Medicaid and SSI, and how to plan for when caregivers are gone.

READ MORE
Veterans Benefits

Explore benefits for older veterans, including the VA’s disability pension benefit, aid and attendance, and long-term care coverage for veterans and surviving spouses.

READ MORE