• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Unsworth LaPlante, PLLC

Vermont Estate Planning Attorneys

Vermont: (802) 879-7133

Attend A Free Workshop
  • Home
  • Our Firm
    • About Our Firm
    • Meet Our Team
    • What to Expect When Working with Us
  • Services
    • Estate Planning
    • Incapacity Planning
    • IRA & Retirement Planning
    • Legacy Planning
    • LGBTQ Estate Planning
    • Medicaid Planning & Elder Law
    • Pet Planning
    • Special Needs Planning
    • Trust Administration
    • Young Families Planning
  • Resources
    • Articles
    • Elder Law Reports
    • Elder Law Resources
      • Burlington
      • Montpelier
      • Rutland
      • St. Johnsbury
      • White River Junction
    • Estate And Gift Tax Figures
    • Free Estate Planning Worksheet
    • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Elder Law
        • In-Home Elder Care
        • Medicaid
        • Planning for Long-Term Care
      • Estate Planning
        • Business Succession Planning
        • Estate and Gift Tax
        • Estate Planning for Blended Families
        • Estate Planning for Parents
        • FAQs for Families Without an Estate Plan
        • LGBTQ Estate Planning
        • Taxes on Inheritances in Vermont
      • Incapacity Planning
      • IRA & Retirement Planning
      • Gift, Estate, and Inheritance Taxes
      • Legacy Wealth Planning
      • Philanthropy and Estate Planning
      • Pet Planning
      • Revocable Living Trust
      • Special Needs Planning
      • Trust Administration
      • Trusts
      • Wills
    • Is Your Estate Plan Outdated?
    • Medicaid Resources
      • Medicaid Analysis Worksheet
      • Medicaid Guide
      • Vermont Medicaid
    • Newsletters
    • Presentations
    • Reports
      • Advanced Estate Planning
      • Basic Estate Planning
      • Estate Planning for Niches
    • SECURE Act
    • Top Estate Planning Techniques
  • Webinars/Seminars
  • Reviews
    • Our Reviews
    • Review Us
  • BLOG
  • Contact
Home » Why You Need to be Honest with Your Elder Law Lawyer

Why You Need to be Honest with Your Elder Law Lawyer

April 6, 2017 by Stephen Unsworth

Your elder law lawyer is a trusted legal professional who will provide you with advice on some of the most sensitive and important issues that matter to your life. When you work with elder law attorney, your attorney needs to know what you goals are and what your current situation is so your attorney can provide you with advice on the best legal tools you can use. Although some of the issues that you may need to discuss with your attorney can be difficult issues to talk about, it is imperative that you are completely honest with your lawyer. elder law lawyer

Unsworth LaPlante, PLLC has helped many clients in Vermont to make plans to protect assets, make plans for incapacity, and make plans to leave a strong legacy. Our attorneys will provide compassionate and knowledgeable advice in order to help you make your plans. You can trust us with honest information about your goals and concerns about the future so we can provide the type of advice that you need. Give us a call to find out more.

Why is it so Important to be Honest With Your Elder Law Attorney?

Your elder law lawyer will help you to use legal tools like advanced directives and powers of attorney in order to plan ahead for incapacity. Your attorney will also assist you in protecting the assets that you have acquired, and in finding ways to grow you wealth so you can achieve financial security. Assisting you with legacy planning and with caring for your family after you are gone are also services that an elder law attorney can provide to you.

Many of the issues that your elder law lawyer helps you with are issues that require you to disclose very personal, and sometimes very sensitive, information. For example, if you are worried that you could end up losing some of your assets to creditors because you haven’t always been responsible with your spending, you need to let your attorney know this so your lawyer can help you to determine if you can make use of a irrevocable trust to try to protect your wealth from being lost to a creditor claim.

You will need to disclose a lot of personal financial details to you elder law attorney so your lawyer can assist you in understanding whether you could be subject to estate tax, so you should not be afraid to share your finances with your lawyer. Talking about your financial situation can also allow your attorney to advise you on issues like whether you may need to save more for retirement or purchase life insurance to provide for your underaged child in case something happens to you.

When you are choosing someone to act as your agent if you create a power of attorney to protect you in case of incapacity, you may also need to talk with your attorney about the people in your life you feel are, and are not, trustworthy. And, if you’re worried about how your kids will handle their inheritance, you may need to provide details to your attorney about your doubts that your children can be responsible.

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the kinds of sensitive information you will need to provide so your elder law lawyer can offer you guidance on the tools you should be using to protect yourself and your loved ones. While it can be difficult to talk openly about some of these issues, you can rest assured that your lawyer will not be fazed by whatever you disclose. Attorneys who represent clients in elder law matters and estate planning issues have heard all different kinds of goals and all different kinds of stories from people planning for their future. Your lawyer just needs the information to help you.

You can also rest assured that attorneys are bound by a duty of confidentiality. Your elder law attorney will never share anything that you share, so you do not have to worry about private conversations getting back to people in your life.

Getting Help from A Vermont Elder Law Lawyer

A Vermont elder law lawyer at Unsworth LaPlante, PLLC will carefully listen to your plans for the future, to details about your finances, and to information about your family. Once our legal team knows what your issues are and what you hope to accomplish as far as protecting assets, preparing for incapacity, and addressing end-of-life and legacy issues, our firm can offer you the personalized help that you need.

Give us a call at (802) 879-7133 or contact us online to find out more or join us for a free seminar for general information on the kinds of services an elder law lawyer can offer you.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Stephen Unsworth
Stephen Unsworth
Stephen A. Unsworth is admitted to practice in both Vermont and Maine, and has more than 30 years of experience in estate planning and business law. His mission is to provide quality estate planning services, including assistance with Living Trusts, Wills, Medicaid Planning, Probate, Trust Administration, Powers of Attorney, Special Needs Planning, and Family Limited Partnerships.
Stephen Unsworth
Latest posts by Stephen Unsworth (see all)
  • Does My 401(k) Account Count for Medicaid Eligibility? - October 20, 2022
  • Senior Care Options - October 18, 2022
  • Is an Oral Will Valid in Vermont? - October 13, 2022

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Elder Law

Other Articles You May Find Useful

Essex Junction elder law attorneys
What You Need to Know about Elder Abuse
Essex Junction Medicaid planning attorneys
How to Apply for Senior Medicaid in Vermont
Planning for the “Silver Tsunami”
Discharge of Indebtedness Income and Student Loan Forgiveness
More than Just Salad Dressing: The Ongoing Saga of Newman’s Own Foundation
Essex Junction Medicaid planning attorneys
Does My 401(k) Account Count for Medicaid Eligibility?

Primary Sidebar

Elder Law and Medicaid Planning Attorneys

Unsworth LaPlante, PLC

DOWNLOAD OUR FREE ESTATE PLANNING WORKSHEET

There's a lot that goes into setting up a comprehensive estate plan, but with our FREE worksheet, you'll be one step closer to getting yourself and your family on the path to a secure and happy future.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Blog Subscription

Sign up to Unsworth LaPlante's estate planning blog to receive all the latest news and updates.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Essex Junction, VT

26 Railroad Ave
Essex Junction, VT 05452
United States (US)
Phone: (802) 879-7133
Fax: (802) 879-0408

Map

unsworth_sidbr_map

Office Hours

Monday8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday8:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Footer

footer-logo
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

The information on this Vermont Attorneys & Lawyers / Law Firm website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this or associated pages, documents, comments, answers, emails, or other communications should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information on this website is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing of this information does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.

American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc. Privacy Policy | Contact Us | Disclaimer | Site Map | Powered by American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys

© 2023 American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.