Hollywood Elder Care Mediation Attorney
Florida Elder Mediation Attorney
Families in Florida face a variety of issues involving aging parents and relatives, including matters concerning vulnerabilities due to illness, physical and mental incapacity, and other disputes related to aging and health. While some of these issues might ultimately need to be resolved by a judge, elder care mediation can be an extremely beneficial alternative to many families who are dealing with legal issues related to an elderly relative. Florida mediation law provides numerous benefits when it comes to managing elder care issues, and an experienced Hollywood elder care mediation attorney can speak with you today about your circumstances and whether mediation could be right for you.
What is Elder Care Mediation?
Elder care mediation is a form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in which disputes or legal issues can be resolved outside a courtroom by the parties involved. In mediation, a neutral third party who is known as a mediator facilitates communication between or among the disputing parties so that those parties can reach a resolution. The mediator does not “hear” sides of a case like a judge does, but instead helps the parties to engage in dialogue with one another to resolve the existing dispute or disputes. If the parties ultimately cannot reach a resolution, they can still take the case to court. Mediation is only binding when the parties agree.
Common Issues Handled in Elder Mediation
Many different types of disputes or issues among family members can be handled through elder mediation in Florida, including but not limited to the following:
- Legal issues, such as whether an elderly parent has made a will, established a trust where necessary, or created advance directives including a living will and designation of a health care surrogate;
- Financial issues, such as whether an elderly parent or other relative has created a durable financial power of attorney and named an attorney-in-fact for financial matters;
- Physical and mental health issues, such as an elderly parent’s medical care and long-term caregiving needs;
- Living circumstances, including whether an elderly parent or other relative requires long-term care in a nursing home or assisted-living facility, and how payment will be made for long-term care either at the senior’s home or in a skilled nursing facility; and
- Safety, including concerns about elder abuse and neglect, and how those concerns should be handled.
Benefits of Elder Care Mediation
There are many benefits to elder care mediation, such as:
- Mediation allows the parties to play central and active roles in the dispute resolution process, as opposed to a judge making final decisions;
- Mediation takes less time and is more cost-effective than resolving a dispute involving elder law through litigation;
- Mediation is private, which means that any issues or facts arising during the mediation remain private and cannot be accessible to the public in the same way as information that comes out in court; and
- Mediation can sometimes improve communication between and among the parties, thereby providing benefits for the future if other or additional disputes arise.
Contact a Hollywood Elder Care Mediation Attorney
To learn more about the benefits of mediation to resolve an elder law matter, you should seek advice from a Hollywood Florida elder care mediation attorney at our firm. Contact the Law Offices of Steven A. Mason, P.A. for more information.
