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Our clients often think of us as the “Teddy Bear Attorneys.” Like a teddy bear, we provide comfort, reassurance, and companionship in frightening life circumstances. Most of our clients and their families seek us when they face pain, the enormity of end-of-life decision-making, and/or they are carrying the crushing burden of a loved one with either a long-term disability or the frailties of aging.

It all started with a phone call to my law office in the year 2000. There was panic in the woman’s voice as she said, “My husband has just been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Am I going to lose my home? Will we lose everything?”

I had to respond, “I have no idea, but I will find the answer for you.” Unknowingly I was being launched on a new life path that would lead to the creation of a new law firm. The firm is known as LawElderLaw, with a regional presence in the Chicago metropolitan area.

My caller was a woman in her sixties whose husband was 72 years old. Suddenly a comfortable retirement and fulfilling marriage was being struck by the wrecking ball of dementia. What would be left after the destroyer was through? And what of her husband? He was mentally declining, but he too was struck with the fear of sliding into the darkness of his doctor’s diagnosis. They were both panicked—yet walled apart from each other by their own individual dread.

This couple is typical of millions of our aging American citizens. They have lived frugally, played by the rules, and enjoyed a pleasant retirement—but now that a long-term disability threatens them, the staggering emotional, physical, and financial costs may destroy them.

When a long-term disability or end-of-life crisis hits, a family does not have to be left helpless and alone. We are the champions of those faced with long-term disability or potential loss of a loved one. We work to extend and maximize the family resources by coordinating the estate plan and/or qualifying for what public benefits may be available. We find honest ways to protect our clients’ homes, loved ones, values, and independence.

To the extent legally possible, our mission to our clients is to provide peace-of-mind solutions to protect everything that they own and everyone that they love.

For the first time in the history of mankind, many millions of individuals have the expectation of reaching their 80s and beyond. LawElderLaw will strive to be both a ‘teddy bear of comfort’ and a caring companion in our service areas of estate planning, disability, ElderLaw, Medicaid assistance, and elder care coordination.

That is our story and our path of service. We vow to stay true.