Elder Law Services
Long-Term Care Planning Attorney in Atlanta, Georgia
Long-term care planning prepares your finances and legal documents for the possibility that you will need extended care before you die. It protects your savings, protects your family, and ensures you get the care you want.
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What Is Long-Term Care Planning
Long-term care planning is the process of deciding how you will pay for extended care — nursing home, assisted living, or in-home care — and what legal documents are in place to carry out your wishes if you cannot speak for yourself. It combines financial planning, Medicaid planning, legal document preparation, and advance care decision-making into one coordinated plan.
Seven out of ten Americans who reach age 65 will need some form of long-term care before they die. That includes nursing home care, assisted living, adult day programs, and in-home care. The average need lasts about two and a half years, though many people need care for five years or more.
The cost is not manageable without a plan. Nursing home care in Georgia averages more than $9,000 per month. Assisted living runs $3,000 to $6,000 per month. In-home care from a licensed aide costs $25 to $30 per hour. A family that has not planned for these costs will find that savings built over a lifetime disappear within a few years.
The legal documents are just as important as the financial planning. Who has authority to manage your finances? Who has authority to make your medical decisions? What care do you want, and what care do you want to refuse? Without the right legal documents in place, your family must either guess at your wishes or go to court to get the authority they need to act.
Long-term care planning addresses both the financial side and the legal side — before a health event forces decisions that could have been made thoughtfully.
The Components of a Long-Term Care Plan
Medicaid Asset Protection Trust
The most powerful financial tool for Georgia residents who may need nursing home care. A MAPT removes your home and savings from your countable estate after the five-year lookback period, allowing you to qualify for Medicaid while preserving assets for your family. It requires advance planning — the earlier it is done, the more protection it provides.
Financial Power of Attorney
Names the person authorized to manage your finances if you cannot. Without it, your family needs a court-ordered conservatorship to pay your bills, manage your accounts, or handle your property. A durable power of attorney takes effect immediately and remains effective through incapacity.
Advance Healthcare Directive
Names your healthcare agent and documents your wishes for medical care if you cannot communicate them. It covers treatment decisions, end-of-life care preferences, and authorization to receive your medical information. Without it, no one has clear legal authority to speak for you.
Revocable Living Trust
Keeps assets out of probate, allows your successor trustee to manage trust assets during incapacity, and provides a clear distribution plan after death. For assets already in the trust when incapacity occurs, the successor trustee has immediate authority — no court involvement required.
Long-Term Care Insurance Review
If you have a long-term care insurance policy, Melissa Breyer reviews it as part of the planning process to understand the benefit structure, elimination period, and daily benefit amount. The insurance policy interacts with your Medicaid planning strategy — coordinating both produces the best outcome.
When to Start Planning
The right time to start long-term care planning is your 50s or early 60s, while you are healthy, while you can qualify for long-term care insurance, and while the five-year Medicaid lookback period has time to run before it matters. Planning after a diagnosis or health event narrows the options significantly.
If planning has already been delayed, some options remain — but the analysis changes. Melissa Breyer evaluates each family’s situation individually and identifies every strategy available given the current circumstances.
How It Works
Schedule Your Free Call
Book your 60-minute free strategy call with Melissa. Credited toward your estate plan.
Meet With Melissa
Melissa reviews your assets, your family situation, and your exposure. Virtual or in-person.
Get Your Plan
Receive a written plan with clear recommendations for protecting your family and your assets.
Move Forward
No pressure, no commitment required. Move forward when you are ready.
Melissa Breyer
Georgia Estate Planning Attorney
Melissa Breyer is a Georgia-licensed estate planning attorney focused exclusively on trust-based planning for individuals and families. She personally meets with every client and designs every plan from scratch. No templates. No associates handling your case. Every plan is built for your specific family, your specific assets, and your specific wishes.
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What Our Clients Say
After my father passed away, my mother had to rely on my father's employer to navigate the estate. It was a disaster. After this experience, I knew I needed a plan. I turned to Atlanta Estate Planning Attorneys to set up a trust. I no longer have to worry about my wife and children going through a difficult process if something happens to me. I highly recommend Atlanta Estate Planning Attorneys!
My biggest fear was that if I died first, my wife would have no idea how to navigate the estate and legal system. I reached out to Atlanta Estate Planning Attorneys and they put my mind at ease immediately. Their process is easy to follow and they took care of everything. Atlanta Estate Planning Attorneys is the best decision I've made for my family's future.
Working with Melissa Breyer to set up our Living Trust was a wonderful experience. She and her entire team were knowledgeable, professional, and made the whole process easy to understand. I highly recommend Atlanta Estate Planning Attorneys for all your estate planning needs!
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