California Elder Law Attorney Assists Clients with Challenges Late in Life
Working with families to navigate complicated legal issues
Bochnewich Law Offices offers a complete framework of legal services to elderly residents in the Coachella Valley and throughout Southern California. Legal issues for older people necessarily include estate considerations. Our familiarity with probate law allows us to provide comprehensive representation in a range of matters to protect your rights and wishes now and in the future.
Helping you to control medical choices through directives and living wills
Healthcare directives are important documents that instruct your family and medical professionals how you want to be treated should you no longer be able to communicate your wishes. We work with several types, including:
- Living wills — Unlike actual wills, these do not distribute property but state the type of treatment you wish to have in certain situations.
- Advance directives — In some power of attorney documents, these instructions specify your wishes regarding medical care and may name an agent of your choice to make healthcare decisions for you.
- Do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders — These documents, which are legally binding, can be executed by terminally ill people who no longer wish to receive life-extending treatment.
Bochnewich Law Offices will work with you to develop a plan that not only allows you to control your medical future but saves your family from the turmoil of making difficult decisions.
Answering questions on Medicare and Medicaid coverage
As medical needs increase with age, so do complications with the various forms of subsidizing medical care. Healthcare costs late in life can be a serious threat to your estate plans, so Bochnewich Law Offices can assist you in explaining coverage options or fighting for you if you are the victim of an adverse decision.
Advocating for those victimized by nursing home negligence
We can help if someone has suffered physically or financially due to misconduct or carelessness in a nursing home. Nursing home mistreatment, including abuse and neglect, affects millions of elderly and other vulnerable patients each year. Some mistreatment can go undetected for years, so if you suspect a loved one is being mistreated, it is important to contact attorney Peter Bochnewich immediately.
Creating power of attorney documents so financial obligations don’t lapse
A durable financial power of attorney allows you to name someone you trust to handle crucial decisions in the event that you become unable to do so. If a medical emergency occurs, this document points the court to the person you want handling your economic affairs. Financial obligations don’t end when you’re in a medical crisis. Bochnewich Law Offices will provide peace of mind in this regard.
Providing insight on the role Social Security benefits play in financial planning
Bochnewich Law Offices can counsel you on the role that Social Security benefits might play as part of your overall estate plan. If you have not retired yet, we can advise you as to how decisions you make at the end of your work life can lead to changes in the amount Social Security will provide. We can also explain the death and disability benefit rules that may affect you and your family.
Assisting individuals with drafting and updating wills and trust documents
Many elderly people had wills or trusts drafted decades ago, meaning their terms could be seriously out of date. We help older people not only with drafting wills and trusts where necessary, but assist them by reviewing and updating their legal directives so that they are current and accurate.
Contact a Coachella Valley elder law attorney for a free consultation
Bochnewich Law Offices is a Palm Desert law firm, providing a full range of elder-law matters. Call or contact us online to schedule a free initial consultation.