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Ethan Huizenga

The Huizenga Law Firm, P.C.

Ethan Huizenga

The Huizenga Law Firm, P.C.

Ethan Huizenga

The Huizenga Law Firm, P.C.

I’m a steward. That means I must use my skills and talents as effectively and efficiently as possible, not for my glory, but in the way that best glorifies God. It means sharing my passion for that work—my Kingdom work—with my clients through good counsel and well-written documents.

I’m husband to Amber. I’m a father of three. I’ve had a passion for technology for as long as I can remember. I was a Star Wars fanatic before Star Wars was cool. I’m a coffee snob and a beer snob. I have a love for all great food, especially  barbecue. But fish doesn’t count.

Professionally, I got my law degree at Saint Louis University School of Law in 2008, and am licensed in Missouri (2008) and Iowa (2010). My practice is focused on just four areas: long-term care planning, estate planning, business planning, and probate and trust administration.

I am the sole owner and attorney at The Huizenga Law Firm, P.C., and am also Of Counsel for the Waagmeester Law Office, handling their estate planning and probate and working to build a long-term care planning practice there.

 

Firm Description

Welcome to Huizenga Law,  Northwest Iowa's elder law and estate planning firm where every client is like family. We feel called to put 1 Timothy 5 into practice: “Do not rebuke an older man, but encourage him as you would a father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters.” At Huizenga Law every client is like family, and we take care of our family.

Some people refer to us as an estate planning attorney, elder law attorney, Medicaid planning attorney, nursing home planning attorney, or a long-term care planning attorney, but they all mean the same thing.  It means we help you plan for your healthcare and finances both while you are living and after you pass away.

At Huizenga Law, we don’t spread our energy and efforts over a wide variety of areas. Instead, our legal team focuses on elder law and estate planning only. We set the bar high through our ethical, efficient, and effective counsel and the meaningful relationships we build with our clients and the community by insisting upon regular, honest communication with our clients during every step of our unique LegacyGuardTM planning process.

Sometimes open communication means having difficult conversations or asking hard questions. Our legal team promises to ask those questions and listen to the answers with the Christian principles of empathy and caring. We’ll laugh with you, and we’ll cry with you. Our law office is as safe and private as your own home, so you can feel comfortable sharing your hopes and dreams as well as your fears and concerns.

Hours

Day From To
Monday 8:30 AM 5:00 PM
Tuesday 8:30 AM 5:00 PM
Wednesday 8:30 AM 5:00 PM
Thursday 8:30 AM 5:00 PM

Cost

What Is an Elder Law Attorney?

Main Office

118 Second Street NE
Orange City, IA 51041

On the web

View Firm Website

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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.

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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.

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Medicaid’s Protections for Spouses

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Grandchildren

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

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Guardianship/Conservatorship

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Medicare

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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