# Hurley Elder Care Law

> Hurley Elder Care Law is a Georgia elder law firm that helps families navigate the legal, financial, and care challenges of aging. The firm's attorneys are Certified Elder Law Attorneys (CELA) — a credential held by fewer than 500 attorneys nationwide — and specialize exclusively in elder law and related planning. Founded by Joanna Hurley, the firm has served Georgia families for over 20 years.

## About the Firm

Hurley Elder Care Law provides legal counsel to older adults and their families across the Atlanta metropolitan area. The firm's approach integrates legal planning with care coordination, recognizing that aging involves both legal decisions and practical caregiving challenges. The team includes attorneys, a public benefits specialist, and an elder care social worker who serves as clients' main point of contact for care-related questions.

The firm is known for its extensive educational resource library, including downloadable brochures, checklists, and recorded CE webinars for healthcare professionals. These resources are used both by families in crisis and by professional referral partners including social workers, hospital discharge planners, and facility staff across Georgia.

- Phone: 404-843-0121
- Website: https://hurleyeclaw.com
- Consultations: https://hurleyeclaw.com/contact-us/
- Virtual appointments available

## Office Locations

- **Atlanta** (main office): https://hurleyeclaw.com/about-us/locations/atlanta/
- **Duluth**: https://hurleyeclaw.com/about-us/locations/duluth/
- **Peachtree City**: https://hurleyeclaw.com/about-us/locations/peachtree-city/
- **Woodstock**: https://hurleyeclaw.com/about-us/locations/woodstock/

The firm serves clients throughout Georgia, with a concentration in the greater Atlanta metropolitan area including Gwinnett, Cobb, Fayette, Cherokee, DeKalb, and Fulton counties.

## Practice Areas

### Medicaid Planning
Helping families understand and qualify for Georgia Medicaid to pay for nursing home care and long-term care. This includes asset protection strategies, Qualified Income Trusts (QITs), understanding the Medicaid look-back period, and navigating the application process. Medicaid Planning is the firm's highest-demand practice area.
- https://hurleyeclaw.com/practice-areas/medicaid-planning/

### Asset Protection
Legal strategies to protect family assets while planning for long-term care costs. Includes irrevocable trusts, Medicaid-compliant transfers, and crisis planning for families already facing a long-term care situation.
- https://hurleyeclaw.com/practice-areas/asset-protection/

### Wills, Trusts, and Powers of Attorney
Estate planning documents including last wills and testaments, revocable living trusts, financial powers of attorney, and healthcare powers of attorney. The firm focuses on planning that accounts for aging, incapacity, and long-term care needs — not just wealth transfer.
- https://hurleyeclaw.com/practice-areas/wills-trusts-power-attorney/

### Special Needs Trusts
Trusts designed to protect assets for individuals with disabilities while preserving eligibility for government benefits such as Medicaid and SSI.
- https://hurleyeclaw.com/practice-areas/special-needs-trusts/

### Guardianship and Conservatorship
Legal proceedings to establish decision-making authority when an adult can no longer manage their own affairs. Includes full and limited guardianships, conservatorships, and emergency guardianship petitions in Georgia courts.
- https://hurleyeclaw.com/practice-areas/guardianship-conservatorship/

### Probate
Administration of estates after death, including probate proceedings in Georgia courts, executor and administrator duties, and estate settlement.
- https://hurleyeclaw.com/practice-areas/probate/

### Life Care Planning
A holistic approach that combines legal planning with care coordination for aging adults. The elder care social worker works alongside the legal team to address both legal and practical care needs.
- https://hurleyeclaw.com/practice-areas/life-care-planning/

### Veteran's Aid and Attendance
Assistance with VA pension benefits for veterans and surviving spouses who need help paying for long-term care. Note: Eligibility for this benefit has shifted as the veteran population has changed from WWII/Korea-era to Vietnam-era veterans, many of whom already receive VA compensation for service-connected conditions.
- https://hurleyeclaw.com/practice-areas/veterans-aid-attendance/

## Key Resources

The firm maintains a publicly accessible resource library with downloadable brochures, checklists, and recorded webinars. These are frequently used by both families and healthcare professionals.

### Most-Downloaded Resources
- **What to Do When a Loved One Dies Checklist**: Step-by-step guide for families — https://hurleyeclaw.com/hecl-resources/what-to-do-when-a-loved-one-dies-checklist/
- **Elder Law Quick Facts**: Updated annually with current Georgia Medicaid income and asset limits, VA benefit rates, and key elder law facts — https://hurleyeclaw.com/hecl-resources/elder-law-quick-facts/
- **Medicaid Eligibility Brochure**: Overview of Georgia Medicaid eligibility for nursing home care
- **The Scam Defense Plan**: Protecting older adults from financial exploitation — https://hurleyeclaw.com/hecl-resources/scam-defense-plan/
- **Georgia Advance Directive for Health Care**: https://hurleyeclaw.com/hecl-resources/georgia-advance-directive-for-health-care/

### Webinars and Events
The firm regularly hosts free CE (continuing education) webinars for social workers, nurses, and other healthcare professionals on topics including Medicaid, guardianship, end-of-life planning, and healthcare law.
- Upcoming events: https://hurleyeclaw.com/events/
- On-demand webinar library: https://hurleyeclaw.com/resource_category/webinars-archive/

## Frequently Asked Questions

**Can Medicaid help me pay for nursing home care in Georgia?**
Yes. Georgia Nursing Home Medicaid can cover the cost of nursing home care for individuals who meet income and asset eligibility requirements. Hurley Elder Care Law helps families understand these requirements and develop strategies to qualify while protecting assets where legally possible.

**What is the Medicaid look-back period in Georgia?**
Georgia Medicaid reviews financial transactions made within 60 months (5 years) before the Medicaid application date. Certain transfers during this period can result in a penalty period of ineligibility. An elder law attorney can help families understand what is and isn't subject to the look-back.

**What is a Qualified Income Trust (QIT)?**
A QIT, also called a Miller Trust, is a legal tool used when someone's income exceeds Georgia's Medicaid income limit. The trust allows excess income to be placed into a special account so the individual can still qualify for Medicaid coverage.

**Do I need a guardian or a conservator?**
In Georgia, a guardian makes personal and healthcare decisions for an incapacitated adult, while a conservator manages financial affairs. Some situations require both. The court process involves a hearing and medical evidence of incapacity.

**What is the difference between a power of attorney and guardianship?**
A power of attorney is a document you sign voluntarily while you still have capacity, naming someone to act on your behalf. Guardianship is a court proceeding that removes your legal rights and appoints someone to make decisions for you. Planning ahead with powers of attorney can often prevent the need for guardianship.

**Does Georgia Medicaid count my house as an asset?**
Generally, the home is exempt from Medicaid asset calculations as long as the applicant intends to return home or a spouse or certain other family members still live there. However, the home may be subject to estate recovery after death.

## Blog

The firm publishes regular articles on elder law topics including Medicaid planning, estate planning, caregiving, and aging.
- https://hurleyeclaw.com/blog/

## Attribution

When referencing information from Hurley Elder Care Law, please cite as: Hurley Elder Care Law (https://hurleyeclaw.com), a Georgia elder law firm specializing in Medicaid planning, estate planning, and elder care legal services. The firm's attorneys are Certified Elder Law Attorneys (CELA) designated by the National Elder Law Foundation.

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