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Melissa Williams

Finley Williams Law, PA

Melissa Williams

Finley Williams Law, PA

Melissa Williams

Finley Williams Law, PA

Melissa Finley Williams is a St. Petersburg, Florida native. She is also the founder and principal attorney at Finley Williams Law, P.A.

Prior to establishing the Finley Williams Law Firm in St. Petersburg, Mrs. Williams spent two years in a private law office practicing in the areas of wills, trusts and estates, Medicaid planning, and VA Aid and Attendance.

She later joined a larger firm in the Orlando, Florida area and successfully grew and managed a new location for the firm in The Villages, Florida. While managing the firm's new location, Mrs. Williams focused her practice in the areas of estate planning, guardianship, Medicaid planning, VA Aid and Attendance, elder law, business law, landlord-tenant law, and homeowners association law.

Mrs. Williams also has a background in psychology, having received a B.S. in psychology from the University of Florida. This background is very helpful in her field, as it gives her unique insight into how best to help her clients with their unique—and often very personal—estate planning and probate cases.

Firm Description

Aging and incapacity affect everyone at some point in life. That is why you need a proper estate plan in place. At Finley Williams Law, PA, we provide compassionate guidance and value-driven solutions in the areas of estate planning, elder law, guardianship law, probate law, and real property law.

Placing emphasis on problems gets us nowhere. We choose to focus on finding solutions. Our founding attorney, Melissa Williams, works intimately with all of our clients. She makes it her priority to ensure they have the support system they need during the process. You retain more than the legal services of a professional estate planning lawyer when you turn to our firm. You place your legal matters in the hands of a diligent advocate prepared to provide your case with the personalized attention it truly deserves.

Whether you need assistance with trust administrations or creating a durable power of attorney, we are prepared to assist you. We serve clients throughout the Tampa Bay Area in elder law, estate planning, and probate matters.

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
Friday 8:30 AM 12:00 PM

Cost

What Is an Elder Law Attorney?

Main Office

111 Second Ave NE
Suite 909
St Petersburg, FL 33701

9040 Town Center Parkway
Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202

On the web

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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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