Long-Term Care Planning in Sarasota
Florida Bar Board-Certified Elder Law Guidance for Sarasota Families
Long-term care planning is the work of making deliberate decisions about how you’ll be cared for and how your assets can be protected before a diagnosis or health crisis takes those choices off the table. Families who plan early keep more options open. Those who wait often face urgent decisions about care settings and costs in the middle of an emotionally overwhelming moment.
Advocates in Aging: Law Office of Wiesner Smith has been serving Sarasota-area families since 1983, and we are proud to be Sarasota’s first elder law firm. Attorney Ira Wiesner is among the first class of Florida Bar Board-Certified Elder Law Specialists, and his background goes beyond practice: he has testified before Congress and helped draft laws protecting Florida’s elders. That legislative depth shapes how we approach planning for every client.
Same-day appointments are available. Call (941) 242-7270 to schedule your free 30-minute consultation by phone or in person.
What Long-Term Care Covers
Long-term care may involve in-home assistance, assisted living, or skilled nursing care, and each path carries distinct costs and legal considerations. Our planning work addresses all of them. We help clients and families evaluate care settings, protect assets, and put legal documents in place before a crisis makes those conversations harder.
Medicaid Planning & Asset Protection
Florida Medicaid rules govern what assets count toward eligibility, how transfers and gifts affect an applicant’s timeline, and what a community spouse may retain. We advise on positioning resources in compliance with state and federal guidelines and explain what documentation the Sarasota County Medicaid office typically requires.
Veterans Benefits
We are accredited with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and help eligible clients and surviving spouses understand available benefits for long-term care.
Healthcare Directives & Powers of Attorney
We draft durable powers of attorney, healthcare surrogate designations, and living wills as integrated components of a long-term care plan, not as afterthoughts.
Coordination with Caregivers & Families
We work directly with spouses, adult children, doctors, and other representatives. Ira Wiesner has lectured and written extensively on strategies for financing long-term care, and that knowledge informs every planning conversation we lead.
Why Sarasota Families Work with Us
Our firm is deliberately boutique. With more than 46 years of combined attorney experience focused on elder law and estate planning, we commit 100% of our resources to each client rather than spreading across a broad general practice. That focus matters when the legal and financial stakes are this high.
Ira Wiesner is a former President of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and an elected Fellow of the same organization. Both Ira Wiesner and Daniel Smith were recognized in Florida Super Lawyers 2026. These aren’t credentials we list to fill space. They reflect a depth of engagement with elder law that directly benefits clients navigating long-term care planning in Sarasota.
Start Your Long-Term Care Plan
The earlier planning begins, the more options may remain available. Same-day appointments are available for families who can’t wait. Call (941) 242-7270 to speak with our team at Advocates in Aging: Law Office of Wiesner Smith and take the first step toward a plan built around your family’s circumstances.
What Makes Advocates in Aging The Right Choice For You?
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Nationally Known
Testified Before Congress, Helped Draft Laws Protecting Florida’s Elders and Works with Attorneys Throughout the U.S.
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Track Record Of SuccessAs the First Elder Law Firm in Sarasota, The Best Results and Satisfaction of Our Clients are the Most Important
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Comprehensive RepresentationHighly Experienced Attorneys who are Constantly Evolving With the Newest Laws
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Free 30 Minute Case EvaluationOffering Free Consultations in Person or By Phone
When Sarasota Families Reach Out to Us
Most clients don’t arrive with a plan already in mind. They arrive with a situation: a parent who can no longer live independently, a dementia or Parkinson’s diagnosis, concern about protecting a spouse’s finances, or simply the recognition that waiting creates risk. All of these are the right time to start.
Planning for a married couple involves different considerations than planning for a single individual, particularly around spousal asset protection. Adult children often take an active role in these conversations, sometimes from well outside Sarasota County. We work with all parties involved and serve clients throughout the Sarasota area, including family members and decision-makers in surrounding communities.
How We Work with You
We begin by reviewing your assets, family circumstances, and long-term objectives. That gives us what we need to explain how Florida statutes and applicable court procedures apply to your specific situation, rather than offering general guidance that may not fit.
From there, we coordinate documents, benefit applications, and practical next steps for all parties. Sequencing and timing matter under Florida law, and we attend to both. Adult children who live outside Sarasota County stay fully informed throughout the process. Our free 30-minute consultation gives families a clear starting point with no obligation to proceed. Call (941) 242-7270 or contact Advocates in Aging: Law Office of Wiesner Smith online to schedule yours. Same-day appointments are available.
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