Visit Elder Law Services of California for more information on Med-Cal Planning & Estate Planning and contact Judd Matsunaga, an experienced attorney for a free consultation.  You’ll find the most up-to-date answers to important questions about Medi-Cal and Medi-Care for California residents, including:

• Is Medi-Cal different than Medicare?
• Do I give up Medicare benefits while on Medi-Cal?
• What kind of things can you do to protect your assets and still qualify for Medi-Cal?
• What about the stay-at-home spouse?
• Can you keep your home?
• Can the state place a lien on your home to recover costs of care in a nursing home?

Additional articles and information on Medi-Cal Planning by Judd Matsunaga can be accessed at the following sites:

• www.JuddMatsunaga.com
• www.JuddMatsunaga.net
• www.JuddMatsunaga.org
• www.Medi-Cal-Planning.net
• http://groups.google.com/group/medi-cal-planning

After our first meeting with Judd Matsunaga at the Law Offices of Elder Law Services of California, my parents and I knew that his professionalism and knowledge was exactly what we were looking for. A wonderful bonus is the fact that Judd is very approachable and easy to communicate with. Judd has certainly given my parents peace-of-mind. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Judd Matsunaga to either a friend or stranger and often times do when the opportunity arises. They won’t be disappointed.

E. Fields

Judd Matsunaga did a good job for us, so yes, I can recommend Judd and Elder Law Services of California to anyone who needs to set up a living trust.

Robert B.

Judd Matsunaga was both knowledgeable in the many areas of estate planning and patient with our questions. My wife and I met with him several times discussing our concerns and we always left his office satisfied with his explanations and suggestions. There was never any pressure to pursue any particular option. Based on our numerous discussions, we came to decisions we were comfortable with.

Gerald C.

Through the use of Living Trusts, Wills, Powers of Attorney, Living Wills, Irrevocable Trusts, Family Limited Partnerships, and Charitable Gifting Strategies, Judd Matsunaga of Elder Law Services of California helps families preserve their wealth for future generations, minimize estate taxes, and avoid the expense and headaches of probate.

When it comes to estate planning, one of the most common concerns is how to properly manage estate taxes. Judd Matsunaga will help you plan for inheritance and all tax issues related to inheritance. Judd will make sure you have a plan that protects you and your family for years to come. Depending your your needs, we may use a combination of the following estate planning tools to define your estate plan:

• Wills: A simple will may be enough to protect your interests and provide for your family. We will let you know what a will can do for you.
• Trusts: There are a variety of trust options available for individuals and families, including revocable living trusts, irrevocable trusts, special needs trusts for the benefit of any disabled person, trusts for the benefit of children, and trusts for the benefit of pets.
• Financial Power of Attorney: By establishing a power of attorney, you can put your assets, finances, and even health care decisions in the hands of someone you trust.
• Advance Health Care Directive: You may reach a time when you are not in a position to make a decision regarding your own health care. By establishing a health care directive, you can make sure your best wishes are honored.
• Asset Protection: There are a variety of asset protection options beyond traditional wills and trusts. We can help you explore the possibility of incorporation or LLC and LLP formation for estate planning.
• Guardianships and Conservatorships: We help families obtain guardianships and conservatorships for loved ones who are no longer able to care for themselves and their property or make sound legal decisions.
• Durable Power Of Attorney: You may request that we draft a durable power of attorney which is awritten legal document that lets you esignate another person to act on your behalf, even in the event that you become disabled or incapacitated.

Probate

Probate is a legal process for settling an estate in accordance with the will of the deceased. Assets owned and registered in the individual name of the deceased that do not already have a beneficiary—including cash, investments, personal property, and real estate—make up what’s called the “probate estate.” These assets are controlled by the will and “pass through” the probate process in order for ownership to be transferred. All other assets “pass outside” the probate process.

Size of Estate

The manner in which estates are settled varies from state to state, but options also vary according to the estate’s overall value. A large estate generally involves having the state’s probate court validate the will or certify that the deceased died intestate which means ‘without a will’.

Settling a large estate also involves fulfilling other administrative matters, called “probating the estate.” Sometimes smaller estates can be settled through a more informal means of administration.

Judd Matsunaga is devoted to handling his clients’ advanced estate planning needs. If you have questions regarding the planning of your estate, or if you are about to start planning your estate, it is in your best interest to speak with a qualified attorney.

Call Judd Matsunaga, an experienced, estate-planning attorney at Elder Law Services of California today at (800) 403-6078 or send an e-mail to info@ elderlawcalifornia.com , and we will contact you to set up a free, initial consultation.

Some people are able to pay for long-term care out of their own funds while others were able to get long-term care insurance before they became ill. Unfortunately, most people who need long-term care have already become ill and as a result can no longer obtain long-term care insurance. They are also unable to pay for the cost of long-term care themselves without depleting all of their life savings and having to sell their other assets, including the family home. People who find themselves in these circumstances are forced to look to public benefits programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, for help.
The attorneys at Elder Law Services of California who specialize in elder law can help you through the application process and design a plan for you that will preserve the maximum amount of your assets and income. Some accountants and financial planners will attempt to provide the same services for their clients. However, they may not know the intricacies of this area of law and are not authorized to give legal advice. Call attorney Judd Matsunaga today at 1-800 403-6078 for a free consultation.

Medi-Cal Planning is about asset preservation. The high costs of nursing home care have been the cause of many middle-income families losing their homes and life savings. With Medi-Cal planning, those families could have preserved their major assets and could have had their nursing home bills paid for by Medi-Cal.
Medi-Cal is California’s Medicaid health care payment program. It is funded jointly by the state and federal governments. Medi-Cal  is designed to pay for the medical care of those California residents who have very limited income or resources. However, with some planning, people in the  middle-income tax brackets can qualify as well. Medi-Cal planning is complicated and often times the rules are updated each year. There are many rules governing which assets a person can keep, which assets can be transferred and to whom, and how much can be transferred at one time. If Medi-Cal Planning is done incorrectly, then it could  lead to a period of ineligibility or disqualification.  Elder Law Services of California has expert elder law attorneys available to provide you with a free consultation if you or a family member are considering  applying for Medi-Cal.
The expert  elder law attorneys at Elder Law Services of California can help you through the application process and design a plan for you that will preserve the maximum amount of your assets and income. Some accountants and financial planners will attempt to provide the same services for their clients. However, they may not know the intricacies of this area of law and are not authorized to give legal advice.  Call attorney Judd Matsunaga today at 1-800 403-6078 for a free consultation.

Medi-Cal is the California state version of  the joint federal-state program which provides health insurance coverage to low-income children, seniors and people with disabilities. Medi-Cal also covers the cost of nursing home care for those who qualify. In the absence of any other public program covering long-term care, Medi-Cal has become the default nursing home insurance of the middle class.

While Congress and the federal Health Care Financing Administration create the rules under which Medi-Cal operates, each state runs its own program. It is for this reason that the rules vary from state to  state. Elder Law Services of California specializes in these issues.  Call attorney Judd Matsunaga today at 1-800 403-6078 for a free consultation

Judd Matsunaga’s emphasis is on Medi-Cal planning and preservation of assets, revocable living trusts, special needs trusts, powers of attorney and medical directives.

Because of the increasing costs of skilled nursing care, Judd provides expert legal advice on how to  qualifiy for Medi-Cal by using legal strategies to preserve assets through transfers, gifting and conversion.  Judd Matsunaga prepares all of the necessary legal documents to accomplish qualification and preservation.

Judd Matsunaga provides comprehensive  Medi-Cal Planning and Estate Planning services which provide you the opportunity to state your personal desires for health care and the handling of your financial affairs during your lifetime and to direct to whom your assets will be distributed upon your death. These services include the preparation of revocable living trusts to avoid probate, estate tax avoidance trusts, irrevocable trusts, wills, powers of attorney for financial affairs, medical directives, special needs trusts for disabled children or adults, and all the related documents required to ensure that your wishes and needs and taken care of.