In this Elder Law Minute, Kaye DeSelms Dent explains how, in rare cases, divorce may be a necessary option in Medicaid planning.
Video Transcript:
Hi, I’m Kaye DeSelms Dent with Dent Coulson Elder Law, here with an Elder Law Minute for you. These videos are intended to educate you about the elder care journey, which begins earlier in life than you might think. We hope that you find them useful, and if you have further questions, please call us at Dent Coulson Elder Law.
Today I’d like to talk about the topic of Medicaid and divorce. Unfortunately, sometimes when we counsel married couples about the cost of long-term care—especially when there’s a spouse who’s already in need of long-term care—we have to discuss that touchy topic of a divorce that really isn’t something that was contemplated or necessarily even really desired, but might be one option to give a good or even the best possible financial outcome for the couple.
This isn’t something to take lightly, and it’s certainly not something that’s easy. Divorcing for the cost of long-term care does not just involve a divorce in which the spouse who stays at home gets to take all the assets and that’s the end of the day. It’s much more complicated than that and should involve not just a qualified elder law attorney, but also a family law attorney, and it might even involve a guardianship if the spouse needing care is not competent to consent to the divorce or to participate personally.
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Thank you for watching our Elder Law Minute. If you need help with powers of attorney or any other estate planning needs, please call Dent Coulson Elder Law.
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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.
