It wasn’t raining when Noah built the Ark…

That’s right. Long before the first drop fell, Noah was hard at work, anticipating what was to come. Sure, he had divine knowledge of what the future held- he knew the rain was coming and a gully-washer was expected. He didn’t need for it to cloud up before he got to work. He knew it was going to be bad.

So what do you know about your future?

What plans can you make today that will protect you, your property and your family from needless expense and trouble? Do you need it to cloud up before you start planning? Many people do just that, and the consequences are not good. They waste money they didn’t have to waste. They box themselves into corners that they could have avoided. They create uncertainty that requires the Court to step in to resolve. They expose assets to forfeiture and they create conflict among their family members.

Why would anyone willingly allow this to happen? No one needs divine knowledge to anticipate the problems of aging. We all age. Many people lose some of their physical and/or mental capacities as they age. Many of us will need extended care as we age. Many of us will even need nursing home care at some point in our lives. Why wait until the last minute to deal with these issues? We don’t wait until we are retired to start planning our retirement. We don’t wait until we go on vacation to plan that vacation. We don’t wait until our wedding day to plan the wedding. Why would you choose to wait until you actually needed help before you planned for it?

Elder Law attorneys help families plan for their futures so the family can preserve and protect assets, can assure a smooth transition of decision-making when the time comes, and can help you avoid many of the expensive decisions that you and your family might face. We all seek out tax advice because it saves us money. Seeking out advice with elder law issues saves you money as well. What is stopping you from asking for help? Better now than once it starts raining.

-William G. Nolan, NOLAN ELDER LAW, LLC is an Elder Law attorney in Birmingham, Alabama. His website is: www.ElderLawAlabama.com and he can be reached at 205-390-0101.