Five Myths About Elder Law — and How an Elder Law Attorney Can Help You

This fact sheet dispels common myths about elder law, such as:

• Filling out online estate paperwork is easy (it’s not — the laws differ in many states, so it pays to have experts guide you through it and avoid trouble later)
• Elder law attorneys focus only on wills and trusts (they offer many services, such as assistance with long-term care planning, accessing Medicaid and veterans benefits, and offering retirement advice)
• Medicare covers long-term care (it covers only short-term care)
• Medicaid is the same across the country (it’s not — because states administer Medicaid, the rules differ)
• Guardianships are scary (they shouldn’t be if you have the right documents in place and know all your options)