OCTOBER 16, 2000 VOLUME 8, NUMBER 16
If you have questions about elder law subjects, you may be interested in a new offering from Panel Publishers. The just-released Elder Law Answer Book provides answers to many common elder law questions.
The new book is written by Robert Fleming, partner in the Tucson law firm of Fleming & Curti, P.L.C., which in turn publishes Elder Law Issues. It addresses a wide range of legal concerns facing the elderly and disabled. The book’s nineteen chapters are divided into five sections:
| • | Establishing and Managing an Elder Law Practice (including both practice and ethical considerations) |
| • | Estate and Retirement Planning (including tax and non-tax issues and a chapter on post-mortem estate planning) |
| • | Fiduciary Administration (including probate and guardianship proceedings, and the use of powers of attorney) |
| • | Paying for Medical and Long-Term Care (including care options, long-term care insurance, the Medicare and Medicaid programs and a chapter on Special Needs Trusts) |
| • | Health Care Decision Making and Protection of the Elderly (including chapters on patient autonomy and advance directives, elder abuse and age discrimination) |
The book is organized in a convenient Question-and-Answer format, and is written in plain English. Though there are citations to the relevant legal authority throughout, an effort has been made to answer real questions in understandable terms.
A sampling of some of the questions addressed in the Elder Law Answer Book:
| • | Should a living trust be the beneficiary of qualified retirement plans? (Q 4:58) |
| • | At what age should a client consider long-term care insurance? (Q 12:10) |
| • | Can a patient refuse medical treatment even though refusal will certainly lead to the patient’s death? (Q 17:9) |
| • | What should an elder law attorney consider in reviewing a Continuing Care Retirement Community contract? (Q 11:21) |
| • | What rights does a surviving spouse have in community property states? (Q 7:25) |
Although the Elder Law Answer Book was written primarily for attorneys, it can be a useful resource for other professionals who deal with elder issues on a regular basis, including accountants, financial planners, social workers, nurses and facility administrators. It can help explain complex legal concepts for clients, or introduce elder law issues to practitioners who primarily deal with other (but related) areas of the law. The Elder Law Answer Book sells for $118, and can be purchased directly from Panel Publishers (which is a division of Aspen Publishers). It can be ordered directly from Panel Publishers at (800) 638-8437 or online at the Panel Publishers/Aspen Publishers website.
