Our population is aging, and as we continue to age, we face complex and difficult legal issues to deal with. Convoluted laws and regulations with both Medicaid and the Veterans Administration do not make navigating your senior years any easier. In response to these challenges a new area of law is developing, that is, Elder Law.Elder law is a growing area of legal practice where attorneys will work with seniors, people with disabilities and their families to develop legal and financial strategies to pay for long-term care and to assist clients in navigating the complex legal rules and regulations involved with the various governmental programs.For example, say your mother has just been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and is looking at on-going nursing home bills at over $6,000 per month. A quality senior lawyer would be able to put together a plan that will protect Mother’s assets from the nursing home, for the benefit of the family, by developing a long-term care strategy and navigating the governmental Medicaid program on your behalf.Maybe, you father was a Veteran and is looking at needing assisted living or home health care. An Elder Law attorney (who should also be accredited by the Veterans Administration), would be able to help your father possibly qualify for the little known Veterans Administration Pension Benefit, which could help offset some of the costs of the assisted living center or home health care that your father is receiving.Finding a well qualified Elder Law attorney can be difficult, as it is a specialized area of law. Your Elder law attorney should have credentials such as being a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), ElderCounsel, Elder Care Matters Alliance, and be accredited by the Veterans Administration to assist Veterans with receiving Veterans Benefits.