Bluegrass Elderlaw, PLLC is proud to announce that Attorney Mary Ellis Patton has been selected by the Kentucky Bar Association's Elder Law Section as the Section's Chair-Elect.

Attorney Amy E. Dougherty graduated from Leadership Lexington on June 15, 2017. Leadership Lexington is an eleven month leadership development program sponsored by Commerce Lexington. The program takes only a limited number of applicants and is highly competitive. Leadership Lexington gives class members the opportunity to better understand the challenges faced by the city of Lexington. Participants meet with and learn from community leaders.

The main way most American families save for the future is through private retirement savings plans such as 401(k)s and IRAs. These plans offer the opportunity to designate a beneficiary upon the death of the account holder. These designations allow the account assets to bypass probate and pass directly to the named beneficiaries. Often, individuals make these decisions when initially setting up the account and never reconsider them.

Whether it is Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, Huntington’s, ALS, MS or another illness, when a family member has been dealt a life-altering diagnosis, it changes the way you must plan for the future. A family with a person who has received such a diagnosis should seek legal advice as soon as possible. Even if the individual with the diagnosis is cognitively impaired, it does not mean that they cannot be a part of the planning process. Many times, the impaired individual can be actively involved.

Our firm is growning! Meet our newest associate, Katie E. Finnell.

Often our law practice emphasizes the need for older individuals to plan, but in fact every adult should have some plans in place.

Our Holiday Newsletter is now available online! Click, here.

At our firm we recommend clients personally review their estate plan every two or three years and have an attorney review them every five years or whenever they experience a major life-event.

There are two reasons why. First, major life-events can affect your existing estate plan. Secondly, the laws change and generally citizens are unaware of these changes and how these changes will personally affect their estate plan.

Many married couples are unaware of an important element of asset preservation when faced with long term care expenses -- the Medicaid Resource Assessment. A portion of the Medicaid rules is designed to protect the community spouse (spouse at home) from impoverishment and unnecessary dissipation of family assets.