Elder Law Lawyers

Whether its helping you into a retirement village, drafting Powers of Attorney and a new Will for you or setting up a Funeral Trust, Pier Law can assist you with all elder law matters.

Wills

Making sure you have plans in place for when you are no longer here is important and Pier Law can make this process a simple one.  Wills formally spell out how your assets should be dealt with after your passing, and are very important for each individual regardless of age.  If you die without a will, the law effectively decides who (from among your family) gets your assets under the Administration Act 1969.  You might be surprised to find out how this Act can affect you and your relatives and it is wise to seek advice from a lawyer when making your will.

To read more about Wills, click here.

Enduring Powers of Attorney

An Enduring Power of Attorney is effective while you are alive, in contrast to a will, which is put in place to deal with matters after you have passed.  In an Enduring Power of Attorney, you will appoint someone you trust who will make decisions for you if you can’t make those decisions yourself.  There are two types of Enduring Powers of Attorney; Property and Personal Care and Welfare.  Property deals with your money and assets, while Personal Care and Welfare deals with your health and care decisions.  Putting an Enduring Power of Attorney in place can save cost and stress for your family who would otherwise need to get a court order to make decisions about you, your money and your assets should something happen to you.

To read more about Powers of Attorney, click here.

Retirement Villages

Selling your home and moving into a retirement village can be a stressful time.  Pier Law can assist you with the processes involved in purchasing a room or a unit in a retirement village.   There are three main documents that you will need to understand and sign and every retirement village will have their own version of these documents, these are the Occupation Right Agreement, Disclosure Statement and the Code of Practice.  We will go through these documents with you to ensure you understand the contents and we will certify that this is the case by personally signing the documents.

Funeral Trusts / Trusts

Funeral Trusts are set up to put money aside so that, when the time comes, money is immediately available to pay funeral expenses.  You may consider a funeral trust so that your family doesn’t need to worry about paying your funeral bill when you pass and/or to have up to $10,000.00 exempt from asset testing for a Residential Care Subsidy.  To read more about Trusts, click here.

Enlist the services of one of our Elder Law Lawyers

If you would like to make a time to come in and discuss Elder Law matters or if you would like us to come to you, please contact one of our  friendly staff at one of our offices Northwood, Kaiapoi or New Brighton to see how we can help you with your specific needs.