Canandaigua Elder Law Attorneys Offer Comprehensive Counsel

Western New York firm assists with concerns facing older individuals

Your golden years should afford you the opportunity to relax, spend time with your family and focus on your personal interests. By handling your legal concerns, Kenyon & Kenyon helps you to enjoy this time in your life. From our office in Canandaigua, our accomplished attorneys deliver personalized assistance to clients and families for a range of concerns that accompany aging. From advice on Social Security and Medicare to the development of a sound estate planning strategy, our firm offers comprehensive support for a variety of elder law challenges.

Dedicated lawyers develop strategies to deal with healthcare expenses

Your health and quality of life depend upon access to good medical care. However, without accurate information about Medicare coverage and Medicaid eligibility requirements, you might find yourself unable to afford adequate treatment when the time comes. Our attorneys will help you maneuver through the complexities of government and private healthcare programs. If Medicaid is an option, we’ll discuss methods of making sure that you don’t exceed asset and income limits. When you need to supplement coverage with payments from Social Security benefits or other types of income, our firm helps to set up those arrangements as well and keeps you apprised of potential tax consequences. Whether you’re considering residence in a nursing home, in-home care or plans for end-of-life treatment, we are always respectful of the family, cultural, religious and philosophical reasons for your personal choices.

Experienced legal counselors create all types of estate planning documents

One of the most pressing concerns facing seniors is the care and security of their families upon their death. We assist clients with a full range of estate planning needs, including:

• Wills — Even if you choose other methods of distributing most of your property, a sound estate plan starts with a reliable, accurate will. Our attorneys make sure that your testamentary document satisfies New York’s legal requirements while it establishes the legacy that you choose to leave.
• Trusts — Whether you’re looking to relieve your tax burden, shift ownership of a business or help minimize the probate complications your family will face, we can outline how a revocable or irrevocable trust might fulfill your goals. These legal instruments can be crafted to allocate life insurance proceeds, fund a charitable cause, support a special-needs son or daughter or address other important concerns.
• Probate matters — Seniors might have to deal with difficult probate tasks when a spouse or sibling dies. To make sure that key matters are handled capably and estate assets are not wasted, we provide comprehensive legal support.

After attentively listening to your wishes, our experienced trusts and estates attorneys carefully analyze your estate and advise you on how best to transfer your assets, minimize estate taxes, establish guardianship for minor children, support personal philanthropic causes and even protect a beloved pet.

Thorough advisers prepare medical directives so people can control their care

One step you can take to give you peace of mind in your senior years is to execute medical directives that ensure you and your family are prepared for medical contingencies. Executing an effective healthcare proxy means that someone you trust will have control over key healthcare choices if you are incapacitated. This saves your loved ones from confusion and difficult choices while dealing with a medical crisis. Our firm also creates living wills so that you can clearly state what type of extraordinary measures should be taken to prolong your life if you are unable to communicate.

Accomplished advocates go the extra mile to protect seniors’ rights

Seniors are often the target of unscrupulous fraudsters and abusive caretakers. If you or a family member has been victimized by a financial scam, nursing home negligence, age discrimination or violent behavior, our attorneys can help. Whether someone is in an assisted-living environment or receiving full nursing home care, we focus first on establishing a safe haven for our elderly clients and then on pursuing all available legal means to safeguard their well-being and dignity. Even if you merely suspect that a problem exists, our attorneys can review whether physical conditions such as bedsores or illnesses are the result of poor treatment.

Contact a knowledgeable Ontario County elder law attorney for a consultation

Kenyon & Kenyon handles a full range of elder law concerns for Western New York residents and their families, including matters related to medical expenses, government benefits and estate planning. To schedule an appointment at our office in Canandaigua, please call 585-577-7577 or contact us online.