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“Is it legal to…?”

In this Elder Law Minute, Wes Coulson talks about re-framing the question.

Transcript:

Hi! I’m Wes Coulson from Dent-Coulson Elder Law, proudly serving clients throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area and beyond. I’d like to welcome you to our Elder Law and Estate Planning Minute. We do these to help educate people, give them some little tips, and especially to let them know the questions they need to ask, things that they’ve maybe not thought of. Our thought on that is that we can help you best if you realize the things that you need help and that we can help you with. So I hope you enjoy. Thanks!

One of the questions that always tickles me is when people call and they ask a question that starts with  “Is it legal to..?”. And, the reason that that tickles me is that, although it is a very understandable question, it’s sorta also the wrong question to ask. Because, if you will, just because it’s legal to do something, that doesn’t necessarily, at all, mean that that’s the way that you should proceed. You can do things that are legal, but that won’t produce the best result or, in some cases, not even produce a good result.

So, really, the right question to ask is “How best can we approach this situation?”, or “What do we need to do to fix that problem?”. I approach things that way, because what that enables me, as an attorney, to do is to think outside the box, not confine myself to a particular question, but rather to look at the situation. Because, really, my job for you is to not just to answer questions, it’s to solve your problems. Thanks!

Also looking for information about Medicaid and Asset Preservation? Visit these articles:

    • Do Living Trusts Protect Assets From Medicaid or VA Spend Down?
    • How an Asset Preservation Trust Protects Your Life Savings From Long-Term Care Costs
    • Why Do I Need an Asset Preservation Plan?

“Your Trusted Advisor on the Elder Care Journey”

Dent-Coulson Elder Law is dedicated to providing families in the St. Louis area with their Elder Law needs. Our practice areas include Asset Preservation Planning, Veterans Benefits, Medicaid Eligibility, Alzheimer’s Planning, Special Needs Planning, Estate Planning and more. We understand the financial challenges you may face as you and your loved ones grow older. At Dent-Coulson Elder Law, our clients’ well-being is our number one priority. For immediate help, call (618) 632-7000 (IL) or (314) 567-9292 (MO), or Contact Us and we will get in touch as soon as possible.

Veterans Benefits O'Fallon ILFor Immediate Help

If you or a loved one needs immediate help with a planning matter or legal issue, please contact us, and we will get back to you promptly.

774 Sunset Blvd Suite 200
O'Fallon, IL 62269
IL: (618) 632-7000
MO: (314) 567-9292

1901 South Fourth Street,
Suite 211, Effingham, IL 62401
(217) 330-5500

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