Legal Guide for the Seriously Ill

The onset of a serious illness or injury can affect much more than a person’s health. Knowing what steps to take to get your financial and legal affairs in order is often vitally important not only to you, but to your loved ones.

This guide provides you information on several steps to consider if you face serious illness or injury.  Specifically, this guide explains “seven key steps” in short and simple terms and provides tips and resource links that will give you much more detailed information on topics such as.Patient Rights, Healthcare Decisions and Employment

Protected Tomorrows is an advocacy firm that helps those with disabilities navigate their way through a comprehensive life planning process. Protected Tomorrows is able to provide individuals and families in developing special needs care plans. The organization's areas of expertise include: education planning, residential care planning, financial and legal issues, and application for employment and government benefits including SSDI and / or SSI. Fees are individually assessed depending on the complexity of the case and services requested.

Pine Tree Legal Assistance provides a state-by-state listing of local agencies offering low cost, or free, legal assistance to eligible clients. Many listed organizations are subject to restrictions about the types of cases they represent, so it is best to contact them with your circumstances to see if you meet the requirements for assistance.

The National Academy of Elder lay Attorneys is a not-for-profit association that represents lawyers and bar organizations. NAELA provides education, information and networking assistance to those who provide legal services to older adults and other special needs populations including people with disabilities. Visit the site's "Locate an Elder Law Attorney," to find someone in your area who is able to your specific legal and planning needs.

Mediate.com serves as a bridge between professionals offering mediation services and people considering mediation services. Services offered include divorce, employment, and estate planning, among other subjects. You can search for a mediator by state or topic on this Web site.

This Web site provides detailed information about disability, financial, and legal planning. In addition to articles, the site includes audio and video clips as well as sample forms addressing a wide range of legal matters such powers of attorney, living wills, and marriage settlement. There is specific information to the modification of estate planning documents for people with Parkinson's under the "Chronic Illness Planning" heading.

The Financial Planning Association Web site provides a wide variety of resources (articles, worksheets, guides, webinars, etc.) designed to help individuals understand the importance of financial planning and the value of obtaining sound advice from a financial planning professional. Special sections related to saving for college, estate planning, and long-term care for loved ones are also provided.

The Family Caregiver Alliance was the first community-based non-profit organization in the country to address the needs of families and friends providing long-term care at home. The FCA now provides programs at national, state, and local levels to sustain caregivers. They provide information on various caregiving issues, including legal matters and various health conditions.

The AARP Web site offers visitors information about a wide range of topics including: health, money, work, insurance, and relationships. Although geared toward a 50+ audience, much of the content is relevant to younger people, especially those who are interested in healthy living and planning for the future. By using a keyword such as "Parkinson's" or "disability," site visitors may obtain a more target list of articles on a particular subject.

Allsup is a disability representation firm that provides assistance in filing for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). Allsup also provides financial guidance and help with tax planning, managing healthcare costs and selecting Medicare options, in addition to offering many money management and planning calculators.