Boston Elder Law and Estate Planning Lawyers

For more information about a practice area, click on the heading.

Estate Planning

Our Boston lawyers provide estate planning services for individuals and families of all income levels. Whether you are seeking legal services for simple will preparation or you have significant assets you want to preserve, our Boston estate planning attorneys can help.

Elder Law

The term Elder Law covers a range of legal issues that affect the elder person, as well as his or her family. Many of our clients are looking for knowledgeable lawyers to help them understand Medicaid spend-down requirements and do Medicaid planning. Our lawyers also assist clients in the areas of decision-making and long-term care planning.

Mass Health Medicaid Planning

Medicaid, known as Mass Health in Massachusetts, is a joint federal/state program that supports the cost of nursing home care for persons who qualify. Planning for Mass Health eligibility involves a thorough review of the elder’s estate. If your family member has excess assets to qualify they will need to “spend down” those assets. Strategies such as prepayment of final expenses and, if appropriate, the transfer of assets may be used to help shelter those assets. Our assistance extends beyond planning to the actual application for Medicaid benefits.

Special Needs Trusts

A special needs trust offers a unique opportunity for parents to provide money to a disabled child without causing the child to lose eligibility for state and federal governmental benefits such as Medicaid. Placing personal assets in a special needs trust can help an elderly or disabled person become eligible for state and federal benefits.

Competency and Capacity

Recent research has found that 70 percent of people in their 80s have some degree of dementia or diminished mental capacity. Many of these elderly persons are living on their own, caring for their own home, handling their own finances, making their own health care decisions. Some percentage of these elderly people are not competent to handle their own affairs and are easy prey for unscrupulous sales people and con men.

Guardianships and Conservatorships

Guardianship, Conservatorship, and Durable Power of Attorney —these are all legal tools that allow a third party (such as a family member) to manage the affairs of an individual who is not legally competent to manage their own affairs. The Boston elder law attorneys at Blake & Associates can help you and your family choose the right tool for your family and your particular situation.

Mental Health Law

Boston, Massachusetts mental health law attorney David Blake has been helping persons with mental illness and their families for more than three decades. He brings passion, dedication and commitment to his work. As a family member of a person with a mental illness, attorney Blake also brings a personal understanding of the challenges families face in seeking what is best for their loved one.

Durable Power Attorney

Powers of Attorney grant decision-making authority for specific types of decisions. A properly executed Durable Power of Attorney will allow a family member to manage financial matters, such as the ability to sign checks, make deposits, pay bills, manage financial and business affairs, conduct retirement planning, sell property, obtain insurance, manage investments, and pay taxes.