How Can I Find and Choose a Good Elder Law Attorney?
Elder law attorney
Question:
Where do you find an elder law attorney and what should they ask to choose a good legal partner?
Response:
The best way to find a good lawyer or other professional is to ask friends, families and other professionals who might work with attorneys, such as other lawyers, accountants, financial planners, and geriatric care managers. They would know what it’s like to work with the attorney and tell you whether it’s a good or bad experience, whether they respond to phone calls and emails, and what results they achieved.
There are also three organizations of elder law attorneys, all with directories of their members.
National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys: www.naela.org. This is the national membership group of elder law attorneys.
ElderLawAnswers: www.elderlawanswers.com. The ElderLawAnswers website also contains a lot of consumer information about elder law issues.
National Elder Law Foundation: www.nelf.org. Affiliated with the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, the National Elder Law Foundation certifies elder law attorneys as CELAs who must take courses and pass an exam to show a high level of knowledge across a number of elder law fields.
To determine whether a particular lawyer or law firm is a good fit, ask about their process, the cost, the likely timeline and their experience with the issue for which you are seeking advice or representation. Also, take a look at their website. That can usually provide a sense of who they are and their approach to their work.
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