Elder Law – Mobile, AL – Johnston Adams, LLC

Elder Law

People today are living longer, but with longevity comes the need for greater planning for those golden years. Our elder law attorneys guide clients through the maze of issues affecting retirement, asset protection, Medicare and Medicaid, health, and even mental health with practical and compassionate advice, recognizing that legal issues often have social and familial implications. From wills and estate planning to guardianships and conservatorships, our elder law attorneys have the expertise to deal with the complex issues of an ever-growing aging population.

What Is Elder Law?

Elder law focuses on senior citizens’ concerns, including age-related health problems, wills and trusts, social security, retirement, long-term care and housing, and elder abuse. Unfortunately, the latter is quite common in the United States, with many nursing homes and long-term care facilities facing allegations of neglect and abuse.

Attorneys specializing in elder law are typically not seen in court as most of our work is done drafting transactions, including wills, living trusts, irrevocable trusts, and establishing estate plans and inheritance tax returns. This practice area often includes family members and close friends of older adults as they care for aging loved ones who may begin to suffer cognitive problems from dementia and other ailments.

An elder law attorney establishes the power of attorney and other important matters with the senior citizen, ideally before their health begins to fail. Hiring a lawyer to oversee your wishes and ensure your rights are guaranteed can give you much peace of mind as you get older and make certain that the appropriate parties are in charge of your care and estate.

Estate Planning and Wills

It’s essential for any adult to have a living will, and our attorneys advocate that you establish this evolving document at a young age, particularly when you have dependent children. If you were to die or fall ill suddenly, your finances and other personal matters would go into probate. The probate court resides over wills and administration of estates and will distribute your assets to the closest living relative, which may be your spouse and/or children, parents, or siblings. Most senior citizens and adults of any age do not wish for a court to determine how their estate is distributed or to whom, including what will happen to their dependents.

Our elder law attorneys can establish a living trust for you to avoid the probate process in Alabama and surrounding states. We can draft advanced healthcare directives outlining your wishes in the event of a severe injury, such as a traumatic brain injury that leaves you without brain function.

Nursing and Elder Care

A lawyer can also ensure your wishes for your final days, months, and years are followed by establishing documentation and living arrangements when significant medical care is required or a degenerative brain disease such as Alzheimer’s disease or dementia has taken hold. You can use this time to research facilities and ask for our legal counsel to make sure you spend your remaining time in comfort at a center that provides the appropriate standard of care and more. Our elder law lawyers can draft a power of attorney for your healthcare and financial decisions.

Elder Abuse

Elder abuse cases go through litigation or the courts. These claims are sadly common as aging loved ones are neglected or harmed physically, emotionally, sexually, or financially by the very people charged with caring for them. Nursing home facilities, nursing home staff, at-home staff, family members, and anyone responsible for the mistreatment of an older adult can be held liable for failing to provide at least the basic needs and medical care required for the individual. Our elder law attorneys can pursue litigation against the person(s) responsible for these egregious actions and seek justice for injured loved ones.

Contact Our Elder Law Attorneys in Mobile

Johnstone Adams, LLC has served clients for more than 125 years, and our lawyers have expansive knowledge in many practice areas. We can help you guarantee the succession of your estate and make sure your final wishes are protected through our elder law services.

Contact our Mobile, Alabama office today at (844) 682-7682 or fill out our online contact form.

Strengths

Retirement Planning

Asset Protection Planning

Medicare and Medicaid Planning

Special Needs Planning

Estate Planning – Wills, Trusts, and Advance Healthcare Directives

Probate Administration

Guardianships and Conservatorships

Long-Term Care Planning

Incapacity Planning

Disability Planning

Health and Mental Health Law Advice

Next Steps

Whether you are an older adult facing the challenges of aging or are caring for an elderly parent, we can help. Our depth of experience and wealth of knowledge allow our Elder Law attorneys to employ a holistic and comprehensive approach, offering practical solutions to complex problems. Contact Johnstone Adams today to secure peace of mind.

FROM OUR CLIENTS

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My husband and I were referred to Johnstone Adams in the spring of last year. We are working very closely with Jessica Welch and Greg Watts on an ongoing and unwanted family estate matter. Ms. Welch and Mr. Watts have been so professional and knowledgeable. In addition, considering the nature of the suit, Jessica has provided my husband and me with peace of mind we didn’t think was possible during this extremely stressful time of our lives. She is an amazing trial attorney. They have gone above and beyond. To sum it up, I have nothing but the utmost respect and appreciation for them. I would strongly recommend either of them to my dearest friends and family members. I’m so thankful that we stumbled upon them. I’m actually going to miss Jessica Welch when this is all over.”

I am currently using this law firm and they are informative, keep me up to date with my case, and return your calls/emails immediately. I am very satisfied. My wife and I approached Johnstone Adams to help us make a better-informed decision regarding her immigration. They have been a truly invaluable asset. They brought their knowledge, experience, confidence, and calm demeanor to the process, which put our minds at ease. The worry and anxiety that we were facing melted away, and we have been, literally, hand-held during this daunting process. We can’t thank or recommend Johnstone Adams enough and look forward to continuing to use their services in the future.

Johnstone Adams was a great help when it came to drawing up our family’s will and advanced directives prior to the birth of our first son. These are certainly things that no one wants to think about, but the process was easy. They were professional and knowledgeable, answering all of our questions along the way with compassion and sensitivity. Johnstone Adams responded quickly to any questions and was easy to get in touch with! We would highly recommend them for any legal work!! Jessica’s advice and assistance with our family’s interests in a probate matter was exceptional from beginning to end– always thoughtful, responsive and efficient, and focused and timely.

It was a genuine pleasure for the doubtless incorrigibly demanding old lawyer that I am to have a professional of her outstanding caliber assisting me on this matter—both generally and in my role as executor in particular—in a jurisdiction unfamiliar to me and on a matter completely outside of my own experience and expertise. I might also point out that she was really excellent in interfacing, always in a timely and solution-oriented manner, with other parties involved in our matter to help keep our initiatives on track—including attorneys dealing with the disposition of residential real estate and financial assets. Jessica and her excellent assistant, Shelly Perrone, also offered and provided pragmatic and efficient solutions to logistical and execution issues made it significantly more challenging than usual given the COVID-19 crisis and my own location far from Mobile– in Paris, France.

I highly recommend attorney Rick La Trace. Aside from being professional, polite, and yet firm, Rick is a combination of knowledge, detail, and responsiveness. (In my opinion, there are very few professionals who have ALL three qualities. Rick is one of the very few.) What makes him stand apart from the rest, is that he takes the time to listen to his client’s concerns (no matter how “trivial”). He educates client’s on how the law works, shares his opinions, including the pros and cons of each. We would definitely use Rick’s services again, and highly recommend him for anyone who wants a lawyer that they can trust to thoroughly handle their case from start to finish, even down to the small details. You can tell from working with Rick that he’s not just about getting paid for his services, but that he enjoys working through problems and finding creative solutions for his clients. Also, I highly recommend the Johnstone Adams, LLC systems and processes. Shelly and Cathy were on top of things. I give Rick and Johnstone Adams more than five stars.

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WHY CHOOSE OUR FIRM

Dedicated Quality & Commitment

Only a few special law firms in the U.S. have provided exceptional representation to businesses for more than a century. Johnstone Adams, LLC is one of these rare, distinguished firms. Since 1897, the firm has successfully advanced from a local firm serving South Alabama into a dynamic regional powerhouse equipped to fulfill most legal needs of its diverse client base.

Legacy Of Excellence

Each attorney takes great pride in continuing the firm’s legacy of excellence. By consistently providing sophisticated, aggressive, and innovative legal solutions to every client in each service area, Johnstone Adams attorneys personally ensure that their firm’s long, storied past is only the beginning.

Exemplary Client Service & Efficiency

With a focus on exemplary client service and efficiency, Johnstone Adams attorneys guide clients through legal matters from the first conversation about strategy to successful completion in the following critical service areas: Health Care, Employment, Labor & Workers’ Compensation, Insurance Defense Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Corporate Transactions, Real Estate Litigation & Transactions, Construction, Oil & Gas, Tax, Trusts & Estate Planning, Banking & Finance, Immigration, and Forest Use.

ABOUT US

LATEST FROM THE BLOG

Johnstone Adams LLC Ranked by Best Law Firms® in 2025

By David Owens • January 17, 2025

Mobile, AL. United States, January16,2025 ··Johnstone Adams LLC has been recognized in the 2025 edition of Best Law Firms*, a testament to its unwavering commitment to legal excellence. Ranked by Best Law Firms regionally in 8 practice areas, Johnstone Adams LLC has distinguished itself in the legal industry, earning this prestigious accolade. Firms included in the 2025 Best Law Finns& list are recognized for professional excellence with impressive ratings from clients and peers. To be considered for this milestone achievement, at least one lawyer in the law firm must be recognized in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in Americaf). "At Best lawyers, we are proud to recognize law firms that show an unwavering commitment to excellence, innovation, and client satisfaction, • said Philip Creer, Chief Executive Officer of Best lawyers. "In the legal arena. Credibility is earned through consistent quality, which has propelled these firms to the forefront of the legal industry. • Achieving a ranking in Best Law Firms signifies high-quality legal practice and a depth of legal proficiency. Recognized firms, categorized into three tiers, receive acclaim on both national and metropolitan levels, reflecting the extent of their practice and geographic reach. Receiving a tier designation represents an elite status, reflecting the integrity and reputation earned by law firms. The 2025 edition of Best Law Firms* includes rankings in 75 national practice areas and127 metropolitan-based practice areas. The highest-rated firm in each national practice area attains the prestigious "Law Firm of the Year" honor. The transparent collaborative research process employs qualitative and quantitative data from peer and client reviews, supported by proprietary algorithmic technology, to produce a tiered system of industry-led rankings of the top 4% of the industry. Johnstone Adams LLC received the following rankings in the 2025 Best Law Firms®: • Regional Tier 1 o Mobile • Employment Law - Management • Labor Law - Management • Litigation - Labor and Employment • Workers• Compensation Law - Employers • Regional Tier 2 o Mobile • Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law • Health Care Law • Litigation - Construction • Tax Law ### About Johnstone Adams LLC Johnstone Adams LLC is committed to providing its clients with the full range of services necessary to meet their legal needs. Our lawyers develop and maintain the knowledge and experience to provide top notch legal representation consistent with the needs of our clients, both as to time and expense. Johnstone Adams, LLC specializes in the following practice areas: • Banking, Finance & Creditors• Rights • Business and Corporate including Business Dispute and Shareholder Rights Litigation • Construction Litigation • Employment, Labor and Workers• Compensation Law • ERISA, Tax, Trusts & Estates • Health Care including Mental Health • Immigration including Employment, 1-9 Compliance and Family • Insurance Litigation: (1) Defense: Construction & Completed Operations; Major Claims & Professional Liability; (2) Coverage and Regulatory: Agency, Commercial, Fidelity, Personal lines & Title • Real Estate including Conveyancing, Environmental & Zoning • Real Estate Litigation, including Conveyancing, Lien Priorities & Titles For more than a century Johnstone Adams LLC has strived to improve upon how we deliver legal services to our clients in this ever-changing economic climate.

Johnstone Adams LLC Lawyers Recognized as Best lawyers® Award Recipients

By David Owens • January 17, 2025

Johnstone Adams LLC Lawyers Recognized as Best lawyers® Award Recipients Mobile, AL. United States, January 16, 2025 •• Johnstone Adams LLC is pleased to announce that 7 lawyers have been included in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America• Since it was first published in1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Johnstone Adams LLC would like to congratulate the following lawyers named to 2025 The Best Lawyers in America list • Celia J. Collins • Employment Law Management. Labor Law Management. Litigation • Labor and Employment. and Workers' Compensation Law • Employers Rick A. La Trace - Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights I Insolvency and Reorganization Law • E. Russell March Ill - Elder Law • Wade B. Perry Jr. - Employment Law- Management, Health Care Law, and Litigation - Labor and Employment • Elizabeth Darby Rehm - Employment Law - Management, Labor Law - Management, and Litigation - Labor and Employment • Lawrence J. Seiter - Litigation - Construction and Workers• Compensation Law - Employers • E. Watson Smith - Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law and Tax Law ### About Johnstone Adams LLC Johnstone Adams LLC is committed to providing its clients with the full range of services necessary to meet their legal needs. Our lawyers develop and maintain the knowledge and experience to provide top notch legal representation consistent with the needs of our clients, both as to time and expense. Johnstone Adams, LLC specializes in the following practice areas: • Banking, Finance & Creditors• Rights • Business and Corporate including Business Dispute and Shareholder Rights Litigation • Construction Litigation • Employment Labor and Workers• Compensation Law • ERISA, Tax, Trusts & Estates • Health Care including Mental Health Immigration including Employment, 1-9 Compliance and Family • Insurance Litigation: Defense: Construction & Completed Operations; Major Claims & Professional Liability; Coverage and Regulatory: Agency, Commercial, Fidelity, Personal lines & Title Real Estate including Conveyancing, Environmental & Zoning Real Estate Litigation, including Conveyancing, Lien Priorities & Titles For more than a century Johnstone Adams LLC has strived to improve upon how we deliver legal services to our clients in this ever-changing economic climate.