Practice Areas

Elder Law

The practice of Elder Law focuses on planning for the care and protection of seniors.  It is a highly specialized area of law.  When dealing with issues such as long-term care benefits, including Medicaid and Veterans’ benefits, or managing the needs of an aging or disabled family member, you should seek the advice of an attorney who specializes in Elder Law.

Medicaid Planning & Long-Term Care Planning 

Long-term care includes care needed at home to assist with your activities of daily living, as well as care in an assisted living facility, adult day care center, or nursing home. 

Special Needs Planning

If you have a loved one with a disability and want to provide for them during your lifetime or after your death, you have to take special care to protect any assets you give them so that you do not disrupt any existing government benefits.  

Estate Planning

DeBellis Law, P.A. is a full-service estate planning firm, using wills and trusts to accomplish the best plan to meet our clients’ needs.  Estate planning ensures that your assets will be distributed in accordance with your wishes. An estate plan may include a Will, one or more Trusts, a Durable Power of Attorney, a Declaration of Health Care Surrogate, and Living Will.

Probate & Trust Administration

Probate is the court-supervised process of identifying and collecting an individual’s assets after his or her death, paying his or her debts, and distributing the remainder of the assets to the beneficiaries.

Veterans Benefits

Benefits offered by the Veterans Administration can be very confusing and difficult to navigate.  Many veterans are unaware of all of the benefits that may be available to them. Marissa DeBellis, Esq. is an accredited attorney with the Veterans Administration. She specializes in helping veterans and their surviving spouses plan for their long-term care costs.

Guardianship

If an adult is unable to manage his or her affairs and failed to execute a Durable Power of Attorney or Designation of Health Care Surrogate, he or she may need a guardianship in order to appoint someone to manage his or her affairs.

Planning for your Pet

As pet-lovers, we at DeBellis Law, P.A. understand treating our companion animals as family members.  Our pets are dependent upon us and it is our job to make sure that their care and comfort continue uninterrupted should we become incapable of caring for them ourselves. One way to plan for that contingency is to establish a Pet Trust as part of your estate plan.