Elder Law FAQ | We Are Here to Help

We work with seniors and families in the greater Nashville area and Tennessee.

Help for you and your loved ones

Common Needs

Not sure if you need help from Elder Law of Nashville? Here are common scenarios.

You or a family member faces admission to a nursing home or assisted living.

According to the latest statistics, a nursing home in Tennessee costs about $90,000 per year for a semi-private room and the cost is climbing by about 5% a year. Most Americans will quickly exhaust their savings and may need government assistance in paying for long term care. Medicaid (called “TennCare” in Tennessee) will only pay for long term care if a senior (65 or over) meets medical guidelines as well as tests for income and assets. Fortunately, for the spouse who does not need nursing home care, the “community spouse,” there are ways to preserve assets so that he or she is not utterly impoverished. If the person needing nursing home care is not married, there are still ways to spend money that will help that person preserve a better living standard and perhaps some assets. Preservation of assets in these situations is time sensitive, and a family facing nursing home admission should contact an elder lawyer, who specializes in Medicaid planning, without delay. Contact us for a consultation if you need help.

You or a family member needs medical or nonmedical home services and you are worried about whether hard earned savings will be eaten up by costs.

Medicaid (“TennCare”) also provides home and community based services for those who meet medical and financial guidelines. As with nursing home admission, it is important to get a plan in place as soon as possible before assets are completely used up providing for services. Contact us for a consultation if you need help.

You have a family member with a disability.

The issues are extremely similar for families with a disabled family member as they are for the families of seniors. How will you get and pay for health care? What is the best living arrangement? What services is your family member qualified for? Contact us for a consultation if you need help.

You or a family member does not have the documents that would allow for health or financial decisions to be made in the event of incapacity.

We are all aging! Although none of us plans to be ill or incapacitated, we owe it to ourselves and our families to plan for these circumstances. That is why every careful adult needs to have the basic documents (powers of attorney for financial and health care decisions) in place to allow those they trust to make health and financial decisions in case he or she is incapacitated. Contact us for a consultation if you are ready to plan.

A family member has become incapacitated, there are no powers of attorney in place, and you need for a court to appoint a conservator.

Sometimes a court has to intervene when a person becomes incapacitated and there are no powers of attorney in place to permit someone else to make financial and health care decisions. If a physician certifies the need for a conservator, a court can appoint someone to handle finances and health care. Contact us for a consultation if you need help.

You are a wartime veteran or the surviving spouse of a wartime veteran and, because of health problems, you need in-home services, assisted living or long-term care.

The Veterans Administration offers Aid and Attendance as part of an “Improved Pension” Benefit that is not well known. This benefit allows Veterans and surviving spouses who need help with activities of daily living to receive additional money to pay for home care, or care in assisted living or nursing home facilities. Aid and Attendance is not dependent upon service-related injuries. Contact us for a consultation if you need help.

You would like to plan to protect your assets if you should need long-term care in the future.

You may have seen elderly relatives become impoverished by the need to pay for health care at home, in assisted living facilities, or in nursing homes. If you are in relatively good health you may be interested in protecting some of your assets from falling within the reach of Medicaid. If you are interested in this type of planning, contact us.

You would like to plan for the disposition of your assets upon your death.

A simple will is the first step in proper estate planning. If you want to avoid the time and expense of probate, you can consider the benefits of a more complex estate plan. Under either approach, Elder Law of Nashville can help you plan so that your assets will be passed down according to your wishes. Contact us for a consultation if you are interested in planning for the disposition of your assets at your death.

Your loved one has died and you need help in distributing his or her assets.

However a loved one has left behind assets—using a will, revocable trust, or no plan at all—Elder Law of Nashville can help navigate probate or trust administration to legally and efficiently distribute the assets. Contact us for a consultation if you need help.

Need help getting started?

Visit our FAQs page to get answers to common questions or contact our team of elder law attorneys in Nashville today!

Shannon Farias
21:25 20 Sep 24
Elder Law of Nashville has been an absolute lifesaver for our family. Their team guided us through every step of estate planning and long-term care decisions with expertise and compassion. They made complex topics of life care planning easy to understand and tailored everything to my parents unique situation. We felt confident and supported throughout the entire process. Thanks to them, we now have peace of mind knowing that our loved one's future care and assets are secure. I highly recommend Elder Law of Nashville to anyone seeking professional and caring legal assistance in all of Tennessee!
Jerrelyn
21:15 24 Aug 24
My Mother choose Elder Law to set up the Family Trust after following Barbara's informative articles in the paper for several years. Once we meet with Barbara and her team, Mom was very sure that was the route we were taking. Mom was still conducting their affairs and it was established fairly quickly and easily. It was easy to administer and as life comes at you rather fast and hard sometimes, within two years we lost both Dad and Mom. There were some intrapersonal family obstacles that we encountered as we were closing but Barbara and her staff, especially my lawyer Adam, stood by me and guided me every step of the way to a peaceful resolution. I understand why Mom chose Elder Law and I would recommend to anyone looking for a family trust situation.
Barbara Sanders
13:47 03 Nov 23
Elder Law of Nashville is the number one elder law group in the area to fit so many of our needs. When our parents and loved ones are aging to our own aging, Elder Law of Nashville's staff members are the place to turn, providing expert and compassionate services for anything pertaining to Elder Care. From writing wills to probating wills, from a shoulder to lean on to decreasing anxiety and stress during some of our most tender and vulnerable moments, Barbara Moss and her caring staff are there to help. They assisted me in so many ways when I needed help with my mother's aging needs before, during, and after she passed. I leaned on them for much necessary legal and emotional support and guidance. Their message is, "We'll take care of it so you don't have to!" And, they do, and did. Thank you!
Jen Purdom
21:41 25 Sep 23
I searched for at least a year until I found Barbara to help with support for my parents. Barbara and her team guided us through the process and pointed us to valuable resources we did not even know about. And they are still doing so! Janel and Chris are also wonderful, kind, and knowledgable. In short, my parents are now set up for the future with the support and peace of mind they (and I) needed. I cannot thank you enough! Reach out to Elder Law of Nashville to see how they can help you. Don't wait to get your family's future in order!
Barry Bradley
18:28 21 Sep 23
Elderlaw of Nashville was a Godsend at a critical time. When you lose an entire family within a three-year period, you need to have all legal and financial matters in good order. Barbara Moss and Shannon Lashlee stepped in to assist my aged aunt and uncle provide wills and a living trust when they had nothing. They facilitated their only daughter in both will and estate planning. As the executor of all three, Elderlaw provided invaluable assistance to me. Adam Berk was especially helpful to answer my questions and provide wise counsel through probate process. Elderlaw is experienced, knowledgeable, and caring. I can recommend them without reservation.
D Zanitsch
22:53 14 Mar 23
I evaluated a number of law firms in Nashville that listed elder law as one of their professional areas .. "professional area" is not the same as the firm's focus. Elder Law of Nashville demonstrated in the handling of our family needs that this is not just an item on a website drop down menu. The firm is 100% focused in this specialty area and brought to our needs an exceptional depth and breath of professional knowledge, skill, resources, experience, creativity, and most importantly compassion for all members of the family involved in our case. Thank you Barbara and to your team.
Anthony Ditcharo
15:56 06 Oct 22
I have used the services of Elder Law for some important family issues, and found them to be very thorough and very easy to work with. I will certainly reach out to them for future legal needs!
Paulette Stroupe
15:48 05 Nov 21
I am so grateful that Elder Law of Nashville was recommended to me . Barbara, Shannon, and Randall are an amazing team and have been great to work with. I would never have been able to navigate the very complicated Medicaid / TennCare system on my own. They have been professional, compassionate and truly caring in helping to get my husband into a long term care facility. I am so grateful for all their work. I would very definitely recommend them for your elder law needs.
Richard Gotwald
10:45 01 Nov 21
The whole team at Elder Law at Nashville are experts at what they do. They helped me pull together all the documentation to apply for Medicare, including managing through estate spend-down requirements and the healthcare assessment, to full success for my aging mother. They are courteous and highly responsive. I recommend them to anyone in need of their services.
Cynthia George
15:19 25 Jan 21
Estate planning can be quite difficult and I truly appreciate Barbara Moss and the Elder Law team for everything she did to help my mother and father ensure their wishes were enacted after their passing. She was very caring and helpful and always answered our questions. The documents she prepared for my mother and father could not have captured their relationship and their wishes better. If you truly want professional advice tailored for your family's needs, this is a great place to go. Thank you Elder Law of Nashville for serving my parents and our family!
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Proudly Serving Families Across Middle Tennessee

Elder Law of Nashville, located in Nashville, TN, proudly serves clients throughout Davidson County, Williamson County, and the surrounding areas. We provide expert elder law services to families in Franklin, Brentwood, Nolensville, Fairview, Spring Hill, White House, Murfreesboro, Smyrna, La Vergne, Hendersonville, Gallatin, Mount Juliet, Lebanon, Watertown, Ashland City, Kingston Springs, Pegram, Pleasant View, Columbia, Mt. Pleasant, Dickson, Burns, White Bluff, Springfield, Greenbrier, and Cross Plains. Our commitment extends across Middle Tennessee, ensuring compassionate and knowledgeable support for seniors and their families.