The Law Offices of Dennis J. Szafran our mission is to provide a competent and ethical representation of our clients. We are dedicated to assisting our clients’ legal concerns surrounding all areas of estate planning, probate, family and divorce law with compassion, care, honesty, and thorough representation.

Proper planning can ensure that you get the care you need in your final years and that your estate is appropriately managed when you are gone. A knowledgeable elder law attorney can help you navigate the complex financial planning that this involves.

Our team of attorneys at the Law Offices of Dennis J. Szafran has helped many families with elder law needs. We offer flat-rate pricing and a discount for veterans.

MEDICAID PLANNING - As of 2019, the median cost of nursing home care in the Tampa Area was $8,684 per month, according to the Genworth Cost of Care Survey. Medicare does not cover the cost of long-term care, so people must find other ways to pay for this service.
People may pay out of pocket or rely on long-term care insurance for nursing home care. Many others rely on Medicaid, which is a need-based program. Medicaid will only cover nursing home care for people whose income and resources fall below a certain level.

To determine who qualifies based on need, Medicaid looks back at the applicant’s finances for the past five years. This strategy prevents people from simply gifting their assets to their children. People may need to spend a considerable portion of their savings to qualify for Medicaid.

An elder care lawyer can help people plan ahead in order to qualify for Medicaid. There are many legal strategies to protect people’s assets throughout the process.

VETERAN AID AND BENEFITS - The Veterans Administration (VA) offers supplemental financial assistance to defray the cost of long-term care. Veterans or their surviving spouses can request aid for the cost of home health care, a nursing home, or an assisted living facility.
To qualify, veterans must have an income lower than the cost of their care and require assistance with two or more of the following activities: eating, dressing, bathing, using the toilet, transferring, and ambulating. If you are a veteran, an elder care lawyer can help determine whether you qualify for aid and benefits from the VA.

ESTATE PLANNING - Thorough estate planning can protect your desires concerning end-of-life care and the distribution of your assets. Our team offers full estate planning services, including wills and trusts, estate administration, long-term care and end-of-life arrangements, durable power of attorney, living wills, health care surrogate forms, and funeral arrangements.

PROBATE AND ASSET PROTECTION - Probate validates a will if one exists, locates and values a person’s assets, pays their bills and taxes, then distributes the remaining estate to the appropriate beneficiaries. In Florida, there are two types of probate: summary, which can take as little as four to eight weeks, and formal, which can take up to six months.  Probate can be a complex and stressful process. If you have been named the executor of an estate, an experienced elder care lawyer can help you navigate this difficult process.