52. NEW COURSE OFFERED TO HELP SOLO AND SMALL FIRM LAWYERS PROVIDE TARGETED SERVICES TO ELDERS
More than 100 solo and small firm lawyers took advantage of the Senior Lawyers Division program on “Elder Law: Issues, Answers and Opportunities,” presented in February in cooperation with the American Law Institute – American Bar Association. This two-day course introduced general practitioners to the growing field of elder law. The course was taught by lawyers from small firms who have successfully expanded their practices by offering specialized services to older clients and their adult children.
The course provided an overview of various provisions in the Deficit Reduction Act of 2006 that impose new restrictions on Medicaid eligibility. For example, due to the new rules, some states may decide to enforce long-standing statutes requiring adult children to be liable for their parents’ medical expenses and nursing home care. Other topics covered in the program included contracts with assisted living facilities, changes to Medicare, advance health care directives, durable powers of attorney, determining the mental capacity of clients, and ethical considerations of working with older clients.
Year in Reivew is published by the
American Bar Association • 321 N. Clark Street • Chicago, IL 60610
© Copyright 2006 American Bar Association
www.abanet.org