Why Choose Us?

At Elder Law Associates PA, we know you have a choice when it comes to elder law and special needs planning attorneys. When you retain Elder Law Associates PA, you are not just getting a law firm that understands your complex needs, you are selecting attorneys with more than six decades of combined experience in elder law.

Our attorneys are specialists that practice exclusively in elder law. This includes trust and estate administration litigation, wills and trusts, Medicaid and nursing home planning, Medicaid and VA planning and applications, disability planning, special needs planning, guardianship proceedings, and asset preservation planning.

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Elder Law Associates is distinct and we’re special.

— Ellen S. Morris, Esq., Partner

Ellen and I have over 60 years of experience in dealing with elder law, special needs planning and litigation issues.

— Howard S. Krooks, Esq., CELA, CAP, Partner

There is very little we haven’t seen before. And with experience comes the ability to analyze problems, problem-solve and to do it in the most efficient way possible.

— Howard S. Krooks, Esq., CELA, CAP, Partner

No matter what the family’s issues are, we are going to solve those problems, so that they now have peace of mind going forward on any of those issues.

— Ellen S. Morris, Esq., Partner

The attorneys of Elder Law Associates are all leaders in the field by being active members of the Elder Law Section of the Florida Bar.

— Cassandra Jelincic, Esq., Associate Attorney

We have a wonderful team … at every level and every position … and they are incredibly smart.

— Howard S. Krooks, Esq., CELA, CAP, Partner

We provide bilingual services at 4 convenient offices in South Florida.

— Quisqueya De La Rosa, Legal Assistant

I’m licensed in New York and Florida. With my New York experience, we are able to handle New York law, so it’s really helpful to our clients to be able to go to one firm that offers legal advice in both Florida and New York.

— Howard S. Krooks, Esq., CELA, CAP, Partner

When our clients come to Elder Law Associates, as far as we’re concerned, they are now family.

— Ellen S. Morris, Esq., Partner

We try to talk to (clients) as they would be our family, because the only way we can properly represent them is by them trusting us.

— Cassandra Jelincic, Esq., Associate Attorney

We give families peace of mind by advocating for those who are incapacitated or who have special needs and cannot take care of themselves.

— Ellen S. Morris, Esq., Partner

We are passionate, and we are compassionate to our clients and about their issues.

— Ellen S. Morris, Esq., Partner

We strive to not only meet but exceed clients’ expectations each and every day.

— Howard S. Krooks, Esq., CELA, CAP, Partner

We’ll take good care of you and give you and your family peace of mind.

— Ellen S. Morris, Esq., Partner

Our mission is to give families peace of mind by providing exceptional, professional, tenacious, effective and efficient legal counsel, earning our clients’ trust and exceeding their expectations.

— Quisqueya De La Rosa, Legal Assistant

Through these areas of practice, our firm enables our clients to avoid impoverishment caused by the escalating cost of long-term care, maintain control over their legal, financial, medical and testamentary affairs, and preserve their legal rights.

Elder Law Associates PA provides legal assistance and can meet with clients at four convenient locations in South Florida (Boca Raton, Aventura, Weston and West Palm Beach) and in Rye Brook, New York.

We are committed to providing the best possible service and to interpret and translate complex legal issues for our clients and their families. At Elder Law Associates PA, we give families peace of mind.

We advise our clients in a variety of areas including:

Elder Law

Long-Term Care Planning
Planning for Home Care, Assisted Living or Skilled Nursing Facility Placement
Planning for Medicaid and VA Aid and Attendance Benefits
Asset Preservation Planning
Advance Directive (Incapacity) Planning

Probate and Trust & Estate Administration

Representation of Fiduciaries in Court Proceedings
- Trustees
- Personal Representatives
- Guardians
Representation of Beneficiaries
Administration of Probate Estates
Trust Administration
Assistance with Creditor Claims
Probate and Trust Litigation

Elder Law Litigation

Trust & Estate Litigation
Guardianship Litigation
Fiduciary Litigation
Homestead Litigation
Abuse & Fraud Against the Elderly

Estate Planning

Last Wills & Testaments
Revocable Trusts
Irrevocable Trusts
Special Needs Trusts
Trusts for Minors
Testamentary Sub Trusts with Staggered Distributions
Charitable Distributions
Pet Trusts

Advance Directive (Incapacity) Planning

Supercharged Durable Powers of Attorney with Enhanced Powers
Designations of Health Care Surrogates
Living Wills
HIPAA Releases
Designations of Pre-Need Guardians
Representation of Agents under Power of Attorney or Healthcare Advance Directives

Asset Preservation Planning

Long-Term Care Planning
Disability Planning
Irrevocable Trusts
Crisis Planning
- Spenddown Planning
- Income-Producing Real Estate
- Personal Service Agreements
- Pooled Supplemental Needs Trusts
- Commencing Gifting Program
- Spousal Refusal
- Spousal Supplemental Needs Trusts
- Disinheriting an Ill Spouse
Advising and Interpreting Long-Term Care Insurance Policies

Medicaid & Long-Term Care Planning

Medicaid Applications and Planning for:
- Skilled Nursing Facility Benefits
Home/Community-Based Waiver Services
- Assisted Living Facility
- Home Care Aides
- Community Medicaid
Medicaid Strategies
- Income-Producing Real Estate
- Personal Service Agreements
- Pooled Supplemental Needs Trusts
- Qualified Income Trusts
- Spousal Refusal

Planning for Home Care, Assisted Living Facility and Nursing Home Care

Planning for Long-Term Living Arrangements and Care
Medicaid Planning and Applications
VA Benefits Planning and Applications
Skilled Nursing Facility Services
Assisted Living Facility Services
Home and Community Based Medicaid Waiver Services
Nursing Home Planning for Long-Term Care Insurance
Nursing Home and Assisted Living Facility Residents’ Rights

VA Benefits Planning

VA Aid and Attendance Benefits
VA Benefit Applications
Securing Your VA Benefits to Help Pay for Home Care, Assisted Living or Skilled Nursing Facility Care

Special Needs Planning

Self-Settled Special Needs Trusts
Third Party Supplemental Needs Trusts
Qualified Income Trusts
Pooled Supplemental Needs Trusts
Spousal Supplemental Needs Trusts
Guardianship
Guardianship Advocacy for People with Developmental Disabilities

Guardianship

Guardianship Litigation
Contested and Uncontested Guardianship
Guardianship Advocacy

New York-Florida Connection

Information for and Collaboration with New York Attorneys and Recent Relocators to Florida
- Estate Planning
- Florida and Foreign Guardianship
- Florida Deeds
- Florida Homestead Exemptions
- Advance Directives and Medicaid Planning for Snowbirds

Florida Deeds

Preparation of Florida Deeds
Ladybird Deeds
Warranty Deeds
Florida Homestead Exemptions

Nursing Home/Assisted Living Facility Residents' Rights

Strong Advocate for Residents
Care Plan Meetings for Residents/Families
Watchdog for Mistreatment or Inferior Service

Medical Malpractice,
Personal Injury/
Negligence/Nursing
Home Cases

“Quarterback” All Matters and Serve as Consultant
Provide Guidance and Cutting-Edge Strategies
Make Referrals to Personal Injury Attorneys and Serve as Liaison Throughout the Case
Plan for Any Recoveries to Protect Public Benefits

Having gone through an extremely difficult Medicaid application process for my father in Florida years ago and with the recent passing of my mother I desperately needed to find a competent and understanding law firm that could expedite and help me with elder care legal issues for my uncle in Boca.

— Name withheld by request

Living in NYC with nobody to take care of my sick uncle 1,400 miles away, I found the expertise and compassion of Howard Krooks and his wonderful firm to be incredible. I would highly recommend them to anyone and already have.

— D.L., New York, NY

When my mom had a stroke -- and unfortunately due to her diabetes -- needed to be moved full time to a nursing home, I needed to qualify her for Medicaid, as the cost of proper care is prohibitive. Ellen and her team did an outstanding job, helping to reallocate my mom's assets and quickly qualifying her for Medicaid benefits. It would be almost impossible for the typical person to get through this process in such a short period of time.

I truly thank Elder Law Associates PA for making this happen.

— M.L., Syosset, NY

Very well satisfied. The service was great in communicating all documents and proceedings with us to fully understand everything. The staff was AWESOME! In the future, (if) I know anyone, I will refer you.

— J.M., Boca Raton, FL

I want to tell you how impressed I am with your video. I love that it is not one of the run-of-the-mill sales-pitch videos. It is warm and friendly and from the heart, and makes the viewer (me) feel very welcome to be friends with both of you, although I never met Howie. The two of you seem to have a partnership made in Heaven ... Hope you get at least 25 more years together. My best wishes to you both, and thank you for the work you did for us.

— B.K., Winter Haven, FL

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Our Attorneys

You can rest assured that our highly trained attorneys are adept at navigating all the complexities of elder law and have received praise for their superlative work from clients, peers and other professionals. They’ve received countless awards and have been consistently named in peer-rated surveys such as Super Lawyers in New York and Florida, Top Lawyers and Florida Legal Elite. Elder Law Associates PA maintains a 10.0 (Excellent) Avvo rating and has an AV® Preeminent Rating from Martindale Hubbell, the highest peer rating afforded to attorneys. Only 10 percent of all attorneys hold an AV Preeminent Rating.

Meet Our Attorneys

Contact Us

If you would like more information about Elder Law Associates PA and our services, or would like us to get in touch with you to discuss a legal matter, please send us a message.