Elder Law / Guardianship
Elder Law Attorney in Seattle
Elder Guardianship and Legal Protection for Vulnerable Adults
The elderly are among the most vulnerable in our society. Many are unable to protect themselves from financial predators or people in their lives who may otherwise abuse them. Others have become incapacitated due to illnesses such as dementia and can no longer make decisions for themselves.
After a lifetime of contributing to our communities and our families, however, they deserve care and defense against the abusive and fraudulent tendencies of those who would take advantage of them.
How Our Seattle Elder Law Attorneys Can Help
Elder law is a continually evolving and growing area of the law that deals with issues that our ever-increasing population of elderly individuals and vulnerable adults face. If you are confronted with a situation and need knowledgeable legal guidance, the law office of Ridgway Law Group, P.S., can assist you. We are located in Seattle, Washington, and represent individuals in all types of elder law issues.
We have extensive experience in protecting the rights and the interests of vulnerable adults and are here to help our clients find pragmatic solutions to difficult problems.
Elder Law Matter We Handle in Seattle
We frequently represent individuals in situations involving elder law matters such as:
Vulnerable Adults: Our firm can represent you in filing a Vulnerable Adult Protection (VAPA) Petition, which is separate from filing for guardianship of an incapacitated adult. What you need to know is that there are mechanisms that exist that will protect your loved one, and we will work swiftly, carefully, and relentlessly to help solve your problems.
Guardianships: In instances in which your loved one may need an additional layer of protection against potential financial exploitation, we can explain how guardianship can achieve that goal. Guardianships will allow the guardian to make decisions and act in the incapacitated person’s best interests. A court hearing determines the necessity of guardianship for the person in question.
Our other areas of practice include representing clients in probate, estate, and trust litigation as well as in claims against fiduciaries and TEDRA matters. Our litigation experience in these matters is valuable in actions to recover assets lost through the exploitation and abuse of vulnerable adults.
How Can An Elder Law Attorney Help You In Seattle?
An elderly law attorney can help you by:
- Providing you with legal counsel: Knowing all of the options available to you regarding things such as estate planning or health care is critical. An elderly attorney will be able to provide you with objective legal guidance that can help you make the best legal choices for your life moving forward.
- Protecting your rights: Your lawyer is your best advocate, and he or she will go above and beyond to ensure that your rights are protected.
- Supporting you: Knowing that you have an experienced lawyer by your side to support you can provide you with the emotional support and reassurance that you need.
- Drafting and handling paperwork: Your lawyer can help you draft and handle the paperwork involved with your legal matter. Whether you need help drafting a will or other advance directives, your elderly law attorney will be there to guide you through each step of the process. Better yet, your attorney will be able to handle all of the hefty paperwork involved so that you can focus your attention on other matters.
- Saving you time and money: Your elderly law attorney will ensure that all of the paperwork associated with your legal matter is handled correctly and promptly. He or she will have the experience necessary to avoid costly mistakes and ensure that everything gets to where it’s supposed to at the right time.
- Offering financial representation: Your elderly law attorney can help you with financial planning, and financial matters such as income, tax benefits, estate, and more.
Get in Touch with Our Seattle Elder Law Attorney Today
To learn more about how an experienced Seattle elder law attorney from our firm can make the law work to protect you and your loved one please call us at (206) 855-6420, contact us online, or visit our office as soon as possible. Our lead attorney Sheila Ridgway has more than 34 years of experience and is ready to begin working on your case immediately.
Suggested Reading:
Seattle Guardianship Lawyer
Providing Sound Counsel in Situations Where a Guardianship May Be Necessary
A serious accident, chronic illness or dementia might make it impossible for a person to take care of his or her own personal security or financial affairs. Guardianship is the most common legal response, but it is an intrusive solution that might be resisted by the person most directly involved or by other family members.
What Are the Two Types of Guardianship?
There are two kinds of guardianship:
- Guardianship of the person
- Guardianship of the estate.
A guardian is a person appointed by the court to supervise an incapacitated person’s physical care (“the person”) or financial affairs (“the estate”). In either situation, the court asked to appoint a guardian will usually consider less restrictive alternatives, such as a trust or power of attorney.
In some situations, an individual may not require guardianship but may need the benefits of a vulnerable adult protection order. In other cases, an individual may need both a guardian to be appointed as well as the benefits provided by a protection order.
Our experience with Washington guardianship proceedings and the problems that families can encounter in considering guardianship can help you understand the pros and cons of seeking this remedy.
Our firm usually advises and represents the families of people whose ability to care for themselves is in substantial doubt, but we are also able to represent people who want to resist the appointment of a guardian, including the allegedly incapacitated person.
We also advise and represent guardians with regard to the scope of their responsibilities, their periodic reporting duties, and matters related to any proposed termination of the guardianship or substitution of the guardian.
Is Guardianship Right for Your Loved One?
Guardianship is best viewed as a last resort to assure the physical and financial security of a loved one who can no longer manage his or her own affairs.
To discuss your situation with a guardianship attorney near you who has more than 30+ years of legal experience, contact us at Ridgway Law Group, P.S. in Seattle.
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