Search Articles

Find Attorneys

;

Jody M. Butts

McNeely Stephenson

Jody M. Butts

McNeely Stephenson

Jody M. Butts

McNeely Stephenson

Jody is an attorney in the Shelbyville office of McNeely Stephenson where she concentrates her practice in the areas of estate and trust administration, estate and trust litigation, Medicaid planning, special needs planning, guardianships, Veterans' benefits, powers of attorney, and advanced directive planning.  She earned her J.D. from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law and her B.A. from DePauw University. 

Firm Description

Elder law isn’t simply about writing wills and planning estates. It’s about understanding and caring for the wants and needs of a very special group of people. Due to healthier lifestyles and the miracles of modern medicine, we are living longer than ever before. Sadly, we are also often out-living our savings, and the ability to care for ourselves.

Whether it’s for our parents, our spouse, our siblings, or our children, we are all looking for personal advice to help guide us through the maze of financial and legal decisions that are part of growing older. We, in the Elder Law Practice Group at McNeely Stephenson, understand your stress and feel your pain. We are here for you, to protect the assets that you or your loved one has earned over a life time of hard work, to ensure that they receive the quality care they need, and ultimately, to provide you with the peace of mind that you deserve through proper planning techniques.

McNeely Stephenson provides high quality legal services for those with aging related issues including Medicaid planning, elder focused estate planning, Veterans benefit planning, long-term care, and Alzheimer’s/dementia planning. You deserve a law firm that personally understands what you’re going through and can provide you the specific legal solutions you need. At McNeely Stephenson, we are dedicated to providing you with the personalized service and mastery of the law necessary to meet your needs.

Hours

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

Cost

What Is an Elder Law Attorney?

Main Office

2150 Intelliplex Drive
Suite 100
Shelbyville, IN 46176

On the web

View Firm Website


Medicaid 101
What Medicaid Covers

In addition to nursing home care, Medicaid may cover home care and some care in an assisted living facility. Coverage in your state may depend on waivers of federal rules.

READ MORE
How to Qualify for Medicaid

To be eligible for Medicaid long-term care, recipients must have limited incomes and no more than $2,000 (in most states). Special rules apply for the home and other assets.

READ MORE
Medicaid’s Protections for Spouses

Spouses of Medicaid nursing home residents have special protections to keep them from becoming impoverished.

READ MORE
What Medicaid Covers

In addition to nursing home care, Medicaid may cover home care and some care in an assisted living facility. Coverage in your state may depend on waivers of federal rules.

READ MORE
How to Qualify for Medicaid

To be eligible for Medicaid long-term care, recipients must have limited incomes and no more than $2,000 (in most states). Special rules apply for the home and other assets.

READ MORE
Medicaid’s Protections for Spouses

Spouses of Medicaid nursing home residents have special protections to keep them from becoming impoverished.

READ MORE
Medicaid Planning Strategies

Careful planning for potentially devastating long-term care costs can help protect your estate, whether for your spouse or for your children.

READ MORE
Estate Recovery: Can Medicaid Take My House After I’m Gone?

If steps aren't taken to protect the Medicaid recipient's house from the state’s attempts to recover benefits paid, the house may need to be sold.

READ MORE
Help Qualifying and Paying for Medicaid, Or Avoiding Nursing Home Care

There are ways to handle excess income or assets and still qualify for Medicaid long-term care, and programs that deliver care at home rather than in a nursing home.

READ MORE
Are Adult Children Responsible for Their Parents’ Care?

Most states have laws on the books making adult children responsible if their parents can't afford to take care of themselves.

READ MORE
Applying for Medicaid

Applying for Medicaid is a highly technical and complex process, and bad advice can actually make it more difficult to qualify for benefits.

READ MORE
Alternatives to Medicaid

Medicare's coverage of nursing home care is quite limited. For those who can afford it and who can qualify for coverage, long-term care insurance is the best alternative to Medicaid.

READ MORE
ElderLaw 101
Estate Planning

Distinguish the key concepts in estate planning, including the will, the trust, probate, the power of attorney, and how to avoid estate taxes.

READ MORE
Grandchildren

Learn about grandparents’ visitation rights and how to avoid tax and public benefit issues when making gifts to grandchildren.

READ MORE
Guardianship/Conservatorship

Understand when and how a court appoints a guardian or conservator for an adult who becomes incapacitated, and how to avoid guardianship.

READ MORE
Health Care Decisions

We need to plan for the possibility that we will become unable to make our own medical decisions. This may take the form of a health care proxy, a medical directive, a living will, or a combination of these.

READ MORE
Estate Planning

Distinguish the key concepts in estate planning, including the will, the trust, probate, the power of attorney, and how to avoid estate taxes.

READ MORE
Grandchildren

Learn about grandparents’ visitation rights and how to avoid tax and public benefit issues when making gifts to grandchildren.

READ MORE
Guardianship/Conservatorship

Understand when and how a court appoints a guardian or conservator for an adult who becomes incapacitated, and how to avoid guardianship.

READ MORE
Health Care Decisions

We need to plan for the possibility that we will become unable to make our own medical decisions. This may take the form of a health care proxy, a medical directive, a living will, or a combination of these.

READ MORE
Long-Term Care Insurance

Understand the ins and outs of insurance to cover the high cost of nursing home care, including when to buy it, how much to buy, and which spouse should get the coverage.

READ MORE
Medicare

Learn who qualifies for Medicare, what the program covers, all about Medicare Advantage, and how to supplement Medicare’s coverage.

READ MORE
Retirement Planning

We explain the five phases of retirement planning, the difference between a 401(k) and an IRA, types of investments, asset diversification, the required minimum distribution rules, and more.

READ MORE
Senior Living

Find out how to choose a nursing home or assisted living facility, when to fight a discharge, the rights of nursing home residents, all about reverse mortgages, and more.

READ MORE
Social Security

Get a solid grounding in Social Security, including who is eligible, how to apply, spousal benefits, the taxation of benefits, how work affects payments, and SSDI and SSI.

READ MORE
Special Needs Planning

Learn how a special needs trust can preserve assets for a person with disabilities without jeopardizing Medicaid and SSI, and how to plan for when caregivers are gone.

READ MORE
Veterans Benefits

Explore benefits for older veterans, including the VA’s disability pension benefit, aid and attendance, and long-term care coverage for veterans and surviving spouses.

READ MORE