Columnist Expresses Gratitude For #1 Recognition
The process began with a request to my office in early July while I was on vacation to supply a “head shot” to Main Line Today magazine. It resulted in several phone calls back to the office. Since no one knew where I kept a standard photograph and the image in our website at www.collitonlaw.com was not of sufficient quality, I needed to walk through the process using a photo that luckily was in a floppy disc – remember those? – back in my computer. We came through as requested.
The first question was “why was there a need?” The initial response was that I was one of the selected Elder Law attorneys for top billing with Main Line Today’s August, 2013 edition. While that was good news, we were not prepared for the next revelation that came only on our receiving our copy of the magazine. The surprise was #1. Although we had typically been named since 2010 as one of the top elder law attorney offices in the Philadelphia suburbs, what we did not know is that this year I was named as the “#1” in the “annual rankings of the most sought-after <elder law> attorneys in the <Philadelphia suburban> region.” This is quite an honor and one for which I am truly grateful. Since the designation results from polling of other attorneys familiar with our work, it is especially appreciated.
At about the same time, Philadelphia Magazine indicated it would also again be naming Colliton Law Associates, PC as a “best in client satisfaction” Five Star Wealth Manager in the Philadelphia area for 2013 in their November issue. This relates to our estate and wealth planning work.
The people who work behind the scenes at Colliton Law but are well known to our clients include, from Colliton Law Associates, PC, itself, Diana Chryst, our Care Coordinator, who is former Director of Admissions at Park Lane at Bellingham Skilled Nursing and former financial analyst at First Union (which later merged into Wells Fargo), Sky George, our Certified Paralegal and Volunteer with Wills for Heroes and the Chester County Guardianship Project, and especially Jeffrey Jones, my brother, and the principal of Life Transition Services, LLC, Certified Senior Advisor, who has worked beside me for the past twelve years with his own company and handles benefits applications and what we usually refer to as “administration” for clients. Together we all work in developing and implementing legal, financial and care coordinated plans mostly for seniors and special needs individuals who are facing or may face catastrophic health care and long term care costs. We file benefits applications including Medicaid, give advice in the planning and also develop estate plans for those who are well. It keeps us busy. To see the group from our offices, check our joint photo in the “Lawyer Profiles” section of August’s Main Line Today.
Through all of this, our clients are the heroes. Almost every day we have the good fortune to meet and try to assist people who are struggling with providing care for elderly parents or spouses, children and loved ones, while trying to preserve their quality of life and trying to find the best individualized solutions. Care becomes more expensive. Benefits applications for Medicaid, Veterans and other benefits have become more complex. When combined with estate and business planning, all of this may seem overwhelming. Some clients have spent twenty years or more dealing with health care issues for themselves and family and may be at least as exhausted as the people for whom they are caring.
The next steps we needed to confront in July were the annual conferences. The Pennsylvania Association of Elder Law Attorneys (PAELA) had its semi-annual half day meeting July 24. This comes, as always, just prior to the two day Pennsylvania Bar Elder Law Institute marathon with intensive all day presentations.
If anyone had difficulty trying to reach me in the past week or two, here are some reasons why. It is worth it. The education is not just intense. It is practical.
PAELA gave the most detailed, comprehensive explanation I have heard yet on the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and its effect for different groups. PAELA and the ELI discussed premature nursing home Medicare discharges, how to accelerate Veterans benefit applications, alternative benefits to Medicaid, dual eligibles (Medicare and Medicaid). It has been a busy few weeks.
About the Author Janet Colliton
Esquire, Colliton Law Associates, P.C. Janet Colliton has practiced law for over 38 years, 37 of them in Chester County, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia. Her practice, Colliton Law Associates, PC, is limited to elder law, Medicaid, including advice, applications and appeals, and other benefits planning including Veterans benefits, life care and special needs planning, guardianships, retirement, and estate planning and administration.