The founder and owner of the Elderlaw Firm in Greensboro, North Carolina, Dennis Toman is the first lawyer in North Carolina who is a Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA) and a Board Certified Specialist in Estate Planning. Dennis has co-authored "Protect Your Family: Don't Write a Blank Check to the Nursing Home." The book is filled with wisdom for families worried about long term care. Dennis' law degree is from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and he holds an accounting degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Mr. Toman lectures frequently on Elder Law issues as well as on the legal issues faced by families who have a loved one with Alzheimer's. He is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. He and his wife, Lynne, live in Greensboro and have two sons and a daughter-in-law.

Firm Description

You're not alone. Help...and hope...is available.

When a care crisis hits, the stress can be overwhelming. If your parent or spouse needs elder care and you don't know who to turn to, you'll find that we are dedicated to quickly guiding you through the crisis at hand. We'll help your loved one receive the right care and help you make the right legal and financial decisions now to avoid problems later. 

At The Elderlaw Firm, you'll find our team of attorneys, social workers and paralegals understanding, responsive and skilled at finding solutions that bring you piece of mind. Elder law is our passion. Protecting you and your family is what we do. 

Sometimes people ask, "When it is too late to plan?" Our answer is, "It's too late to plan only when you have nothing left to protect." We definitely prefer when people plan ahead. However, even if you find yourself, your spouse or parent in a care crisis, there are often critical steps to take to protect your family and your retirement nest egg.

When should people plan for elder care? Generally there are three times when clients need our help. For some clients, they start by planning ahead when they are healthy and simply want to be prepared. Other times, families get our help when their loved one is moving to a care community or nursing home. And the other time, too often overlooked, is whenever a loved one gets a diagnosis of dementia or Alzheimer's. The first time the Doctor gives a prescription for Aricept or Namenda, the next call should be to a Certified Elder Law Attorney! 

Two particular matters apply specifically for married couples. The first is that married couples need to consider why a traditional "Sweetheart Will" or "I Love You Trust" is not a good idea when there are care concerns. In addition, don't listen to the State's plan to spend half or more of your retirement savings when your spouse is in the nursing home. Instead, we can generally protect the health spouse to protect nearly all of the assets, and all of his or her income, while getting help through Medicaid Assistance to pay for the nursing home care. It is sad when someone comes to us after paying privately for nursing home care for many months or even years, and they started out with $200,000 or $300,000. Now there is only $50,000 left and they ask, "Can I protect what's left?" The answer is yes, but their life could have been so much more secure if only they had found out about us sooner. They would not have spent nearly all of their life savings; they could have worried less about their own finances and more about their spouse's getting good care. 

At the Elderlaw Firm, we want every client to have a trustworthy guide to the Elder Care Journey, from remarkable legal professionals. 

When you've got questions about elder care for a parent or spouse, a good place to start is by visiting www.ElderlawFirm.com. One of the early elder law websites, our site offers helpful guidance for Elder Care, Estate Planning, VA Benefits, Medicaid and Trust Planning. 

Founded by Dennis Toman, CELA and Board Certified Specialist in both Elder Law and Estate Planning, The Elderlaw Firm is headquartered in Greensboro, NC. We're conveniently located with free parking in our own lot, and no steps, ramps or elevators into our office.

We know our clients never want to be out of money or out of options. That's why one of the key missions of our firm is to provide quality education for families who are planning ahead, or who are going through a care crisis.

Hours

Day	From	To
Monday	8:30 AM	5:00 PM
Tuesday	8:30 AM	5:00 PM
Wednesday	8:30 AM	5:00 PM
Thursday	8:30 AM	5:00 PM
Friday	8:30 AM	12:00 PM

Cost