Elder Law Lawyers in Sylva, North CarolinaFind an Elder law attorney in North Carolina. Lawyers that focus on Elder Law devote their practice to the needs of the aging and elderly.
Elder law is generally focused around the following types of matters: estate planning and asset protection, obtaining disability benefits or other types of benefits such as Medicaid, and conservatorship or commitment matters. Elder law attorneys also help protect the elderly from abuse, neglect and fraud.
National Elder Law Foundation - NELF is the only national certifying program for elder law attorneys. The purpose of the program is to acknowledge attorneys who have demonstrated the highest knowledge, proficiency and experience in the field of representing elderly people and people with special needs.
Board Certified Specialist in Elder Law - On February 5, 2009, the North Carolina State Bar Board of Legal Specialization designated elder law as a field of law for certification of specialists under the North Carolina Plan of Legal Specialization.
State Bar Rules, Ch. 1, Subch. D, .2902 defines the specialty of elder law as "the practice of law involving the counseling and representation of older persons and their representatives relative to the legal aspects of health and long term care planning; public benefits; surrogate decision-making, legal capacity; the conservation, disposition, and administration of the estates of older persons; and the implementation of decisions of older persons and their representatives relative to the foregoing with due consideration to the applicable tax consequences of an action, or the need for more sophisticated tax expertise."
Additionally, the rules provide that "[l]awyers certified in elder law must be capable of recognizing issues that arise during counseling and representation of older persons, or their representatives, with respect to abuse, neglect, or exploitation of the older person, insurance, housing, long term care, employment, and retirement. The elder law specialist must also be familiar with professional and non-legal resources and services publicly and privately available to meet the needs of the older persons, and be capable of recognizing the professional conduct and ethical issues that arise during representation."
NAELA is both a professional association, assisting and educating elder law attorneys, and an advocacy group, that lobbies for policies and laws that protect the needs of the growing elderly population and people with disabilities.
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