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LakeLaw – An interstate attorney firm specializing in Bankruptcy Law with locations in Waukegan, La Crosse, Kenosha, Chicago and Skokie.

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Home : Practice Areas : Elder Law/Guardianships

Elder Law/Guardianships

Lakelaw’s care, kindness, courtesy, respect, professionalism and dedication is never more important than it is when we are looking after your family’s wellbeing.   Nowadays, we are seeing people living well into their 90s and beyond.  We also are seeing people live long enough that they find themselves unable to take care of themselves and their personal affairs as they did in the past.  Sadly, we sometimes see parents who must take care of their adult children because they cannot take care of themselves.

When your family faces the crisis of a loved one’s aging or disability, we will help you care for them.  And we will help you keep your family’s hard-earned assets to the fullest extent permitted by law.  And most importantly, we will treat you with the same care and attention we have treated our own families when we have had to face such situations ourselves. 

We at Lakelaw have particular sensitivity to these matters because we have addressed these issues in our own families.  Here are some of the ways we help you and your families:

  • Guardianships for minors

  • Guardianships for disabled adults

  • Estate planning for elders to conserve family assets without diminishing necessary
    governmental assistance

  • Estate planning for minors to establish “special needs trusts” allowing for the care
    of the beneficiary without diminishing necessary governmental assistance

Sometimes, guardianship is exactly the wrong answer.  And in such cases, we will protect you from those who would take away your independence

Case Study

Our clients are a married couple in their late 90s.  They live independently in their home in Lake County.  They had given a power of attorney to their adult son.  Their nephew lived with them and helped them around the house.  Although they had the tendency to be a little forgetful, and naturally, their energy level was not what it used to be, they still had complete awareness of time, place, current events, their family situation and the like.  The husband was able to relate both past and present events clearly.  The wife maintained her home meticulously, prepared food, and enjoyed doing so.

The adult son wanted to move them from their home to an assisted living center.  In order to fund this move, he wanted to sell their home.  With the power of attorney, he had the right to do so.  The couple was very scared and wanted help

Another daughter called Lakelaw from her home in Michigan.  She introduced her parents to us.  We called upon the couple at their home.  We met extensively with them.  We interviewed them to be assured of their mental competence.  We prepared and brought back to their house a revocation of the power of attorney they gave to their son.  And later, we prepared and arranged for execution, with several independent witnesses present, a new estate plan to protect them.

A few months later, we saw an article about our clients in a local newspaper, with their smiling faces in a photograph, celebrating their 75th anniversary in their home.

David Leibowitz has lectured on the subject of Asset Protection and Bankruptcy at the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education’s annual Elder Law short course.

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