Elder & Disability Law

Montgomery County Attorneys: Elder Law and Disability Law

Selection of a retirement campus, assisted living or nursing facility, reviewing the contracts or admitting a loved one for long-term care is confusing, often discouraging and always emotional. Resources can be exhausted quickly – unless you have the guidance of an experienced attorney. Our Elder and Disability Law attorneys assist our clients with these issues, helping them plan for long-term care and representing them in the legal aspects of aging and living with disabilities. The process of selecting a long-term care facility, reviewing a nursing home contract and admitting a family member for care is confusing, discouraging and emotional. The cost of care for a child with a disability or a spouse with a chronic medical condition will quickly exhaust the resources of a typical household. Elder care attorneys at High Swartz LLP assist our clients with these issues, helping them plan for long-term care and representing them in the legal aspects of aging and living with disabilities.

Retirement, Long-term care planning and estate planning

Planning for retirement and long-term care requires a “holistic” approach and a variety of strategies that can include family care giving, Medicaid eligibility planning, providing legal services to file applications and appeals, as well as the production of all estate documents – like wills, powers of attorney and advance directives. Substantial estates are managed with care and foresight by our estate planning lawyers who counsel our clients on preserving assets for future generations.

Protection of rights

Our attorneys are committed to the rights of the elderly and those with disabilities to live with dignity. Nursing home patients and other recipients of long-term care are among the most vulnerable members of our community. Our attorneys assist families with reviewing nursing home contracts before and after admission, and intervene when problems arise. We also have the capability of mediation when a situation escalates – seeking to eliminate the more costly path of litigation when appropriate.

Noted elder law attorneys

Attorney Lois A. Nafziger has over 20 years of practice in elder law and is a Member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA). She is a past Chair of the Montgomery County Bar Association’s Elder Law Committee and the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Elder Law Committee from 1998-2000. As a member of “CARIE” (Coalition of Advocates for the Rights of the Infirm Elderly), Ms. Nafziger continues to be an outspoken voice for the elderly and the disabled in our community.

Attorney Jacqueline J. Shafer has over 20 years of long-term care and geriatric mental health experience. Also a member of NAELA, she is a frequent lecturer for both professional and community organizations on geriatric care, financing long-term care, guardianships, disability and estate planning issues. She has been published by the Elder Law Section of the Pennsylvania Bar Association on the subject of “Understanding How a Nursing Home Works” and by the Pennsylvania Bar Institute on advance directives and guardianships. Ms. Shafer is also a trained mediator in elder care issues.

Attorney Stephanie E. Murphy has been published in the Elder Law Section Newsletter on the subject of Elder Law Section Newsletter on the subject of “Elders and Divorce.” Ms. Little has a depth of experience in guardianships, estate planning and administration and medical assistance planning through the application and successful eligibility process. Ms. Little also practices in the area of domestic relations and divorce.

Attorneys in our elder and disability law practice

• Lois A. Nafziger
• Paul Baker Bartle
• Jacqueline J. Shafer
• Stephanie E. Murphy

If you would like to speak to a lawyer from our elder and disability law practice, or have any other question, please contact our Norristown, Pennsylvania, office to arrange a consultation. Our offices are one-half block from the Montgomery County Court House.