“Desperate in Danbury”

My dear wife was stricken with multiple sclerosis many years ago at a relatively young age.  I was still working, and was afraid that her cost of care would ruin us.  We had worked hard all our lives, so our assets were substantial.  I could not imagine that my wife could ever qualify for Medicaid (Title 19) to pay for her care, so I provided all her care day after day to the point of total frustration and exhaustion.

Out of desperation, I met with Attorney Thomas Murphy.  He showed me how we could convert our exposed assets into exempt assets, and thereby accelerate my wife’s eligibility for Medicaid to pay for her care.  I was surprised, but followed the advice I was given, and a few months later we were applying for Medicaid.  The application was granted, and my wife started receiving full-time home care benefits.  Through the process, I was able to protect our life’s savings to use for my future needs and our children.

I had heard various stories of what seniors can and cannot do to protect their resources, but I had to go to an Elder Law lawyer to get straight answers to my questions, a comprehensive plan for our individual needs, and assistance carrying it all out.  Throughout the process, Tom and his paralegal helped with every detail, showed me where to sign, and managed the process through every stage.

I have since gone back to Tom Murphy for my elderly mother’s needs, and would recommend him and his office to anyone seriously interested in maximizing their results in a situation they thought was hopeless.

– K.S., Danbury, CT

“The Power of the POA”

A few years ago, I started having mobility problems and needed home care to help me with bathing, cooking and so forth.  I hired a home care agency, and they took very good care of me.  I also couldn’t write checks or manage my finances, and had no family local who could help me.  I was afraid I would run out of money and end up in a nursing home.  I needed a lawyer who could figure out a solution and be my Power of Attorney to get it done.  The home care agency referred me to Attorneys Michele and Tom Murphy to review my situation.

Michele and Tom developed a plan, and I gave them Power of Attorney to carry it out.  They protected my assets, established a Pooled Trust to protect my income, and got me on Medicaid to pay for a live-in caregiver.  They also check in on me each week, order my groceries, pay my bills, file my taxes, and keep my household running.

Michele (who I know is also a nurse) supervises my home care, visits with me, makes sure I’m eating right, deals with my doctor and visiting nurse for me, and gets me what I need (like my custom wheelchair).

Because of the actions that were taken for me, I can stay at home, and that makes me very happy.

– B.V., Danbury, CT

“Benefitted in Bethel”

I first called Murphy & Murphy because my mother needed home care while I was at work.  She had recently transferred over $200,000, and I assumed she could not qualify for Medicaid for 5 years.

Tom Murphy advised me that the care I had given my mother allowed her to transfer assets to me and still qualify for Medicaid, but that some other transfers she had made would cause Medicaid penalties.  He then recommended a way to restructure the problem transfers so that no penalties would result.

At first, I was nervous because the plan sounded complicated.  But, Tom got the evidence to make a good case to the state.  Before long, mom’s Medicaid application was granted, and she started getting care while I worked.  My parents’ life’s savings has been protected in our family, which is what my parents wanted.

During the process, Tom spent a lot of time on the phone and in meetings with me, because the situation was very emotional.  He also spent a lot of time dealing with other family members, and trying to get the medical records from the doctor in New York.  He never charged any extra for all that time.

I was also impressed that Tom stood up for my mother when her condition declined and I finally had to admit her to a nursing home.  He asked me a lot of questions to make sure there was no way to keep her at home.  He even called the nursing home to make sure they agreed.

Now I know why people have to go to an elder law attorney.  I guess everything’s a specialty these days.

– R.A., Bethel, CT

“Ending Exploitation”

I found out a while back that a family member had stolen a lot of my money, and I couldn’t afford the care I needed.  I was even facing eviction.  My caregivers connected me with Attorney Michele Murphy to try to get it back for me.

Michele got all the evidence of the stolen funds, and confronted the family member who had taken it.  He tried to deny it, but Michele kept after him.  Now, he has given a lot of it back and Michele is working on getting the rest.

I am relieved that my bills are getting paid and I can get the care I need.

– Name and Address Withheld for Privacy

“Protected and Pleased”

I am writing to describe my parents’ experience with elder law, in the hope that our experience helps other families understand how these matters can work for them.

We met with Attorney Thomas Murphy because my parents were declining in health, had no long term care insurance, and had considerable assets which we were afraid would be lost paying for their care.  Tom advised us how to protect their assets for my mom if my dad required long term care, and for their family if they both required care.

My parents took his advice, and were therefore able to protect most of their life’s savings and qualify for Medicaid when the need arose.  They were able to get the best care possible, maximize their quality of life, and still provide for their descendants as they had always wanted.

Our working relationship with Murphy & Murphy spanned several years.  Throughout that time, Tom and his dear paralegal, Judi, handled most of the work for us.  He advised us what to do, how to do it, when to do it, and why to do it.  He made sure we understood everything before we made decisions.  He gave us all the time we needed, and never rushed us.  Judi was always kind, patient, and very professional.

To our surprise, the law worked for us.  And Tom’s office gave us the advice and assistance we needed to make it happen.  We have since recommended these opportunities (and the office) to others, and would gladly continue to do so.

– I.L., Brookfield, CT

“Sane in Southbury”

In today’s world there is a rising need for highly qualified elder law attorneys with highly qualifies legal assistants or paralegals.  Alzheimer’s is on the rise, and dangerously so.

Application for financial assistance through Title XIX is a complex process. It requires absolute honesty, integrity and transparency on the part of the attorney and his client.  Likewise the paralegal who files the paperwork is just as essential.

Any lapse of trust on either side can lead to financial suicide of a client and his family situation.  I was blessed with a partnership with Mr. Thomas Murphy and his paralegal.  I fired an incompetent lawyer and an especially incompetent assistant.  This combination of Murphy and Murphy saved the day and my sanity.

– M.S., Southbury, CT

“All In the Family”

My father reached a point at which his health began to decline.  He didn’t want to lose his life’s savings paying for his long term care.  We met with Attorney Tom Murphy, and he explained Medicaid law to us (and related tax issues).  Based on Tom’s analysis, my father transferred substantial assets for me and my sister to hold.

Although my sister and I paid for some of our father’s care from the assets we were holding, he was able to qualify for Medicaid much sooner than he otherwise would have.  In the process, he was able to protect a portion of his assets for future generations of his family.

My father’s care spanned several years and, throughout that time, we had many questions and had to make many decisions to properly balance providing dad with the best care and producing the asset protection result he wanted.  I had more phone calls with Tom than I could recount, and he helped us for many years.

During the process, I became very familiar with Tom and his paralegal.  They always gave us as much time as we needed, and explained everything so we understood it before making decisions or taking actions.

My extended family has dealt with elder law situations for three different elderly family members.  Each time we used the services of Murphy & Murphy LLP, and each time everything worked out the way they said it would.  These opportunities were all well worth pursuing, and produced results which will benefit all of us and our children.

– A.M., M.D., Newtown, CT

“Quickly Qualified”

When my mother’s health began to decline, she had my parents’ life’s savings titled in her name.  She had no long term care insurance; therefore, all her assets were exposed to pay for her care.

I met with an elder law attorney, namely Tom Murphy of Murphy & Murphy LLP.  He explained the details regarding the Medicaid look-back period, penalty periods, capital gains taxes, income taxes, and gift tax issues.  He prepared an analysis which showed how my mother could protect the maximum portion of her estate and qualify the soonest for Medicaid if she needed it.

When my mother entered a nursing home, she certainly needed Medicaid as soon as possible.  Because of the opportunities which existed under Medicaid law, she was able to protect a substantial portion of her assets for her family.

Throughout the process, we worked with Tom to develop the best plan, implement it, and apply for Medicaid.  The process was successful and produced a large financial benefit to our family.  Tom helped us maximize the result in every way, and gave us all the time and attention we wanted.

I am very glad my mother pursued the opportunities she had, and that we found an elder law attorney who had developed the proper expertise to make the process as successful as possible.  I have since referred other family members, and they have had similarly successful experiences.

– D.R., Newtown, CT

“Better Luck Second Time”

My parents first went to see Attorney Thomas E. Murphy in 2002.  They didn’t take his advice, and that decision cost them a great deal of money.

Several years later, when my parents both needed nursing home care, we contacted Tom again.  That time, we followed the recommended process.  We qualified my mother for Medicaid right away, and laid the groundwork to accelerate my father’s eligibility too.  We saved our family close to $10,000 per month for the rest of my parents’ lives.

The Medicaid process involved a lot of paperwork, but Tom and his paralegal handled most of it for us.  They were very knowledgeable, accessible, professional and attentive.  They followed through on the details of my parents’ case from the beginning to the very end, and there were no surprise charges.

The result my family obtained was very profitable because it preserved a good portion of my parents’ life’s savings, first for my father and then for their children.  If my parents had started it sooner, the result would have been even better.

– C.B., Danbury, CT

“Details Matter”

My mother did no advance planning to protect my parents’ lifetime savings from the cost of long term care.  Then, when she needed nursing home care, my family assumed she would lose everything.

I am very happy to say that we were wrong.  We met with Attorney Tom Murphy, and he explained that my mom could protect her assets because she had lived with my brother for a long time and he had taken care of her.

Although the situation was intimidating (we didn’t want to get in trouble with the state or the nursing home), we decided to follow the advice we were given.  My mother made large transfers of assets, and Tom applied for Medicaid for her.

The process was a lot of paperwork, but it was successful.  Medicaid was granted as of the date Tom had calculated, and it paid for mom’s nursing home care from that point on.  My parents’ savings were protected, and mom continued to receive the same care she had been getting.

Tom and his paralegal, Judi, did everything they said they would do.  They put a lot of time into our case, and explained everything to us as we progressed.  And the result was very profitable to my family versus what my mother paid.

I didn’t know anything about elder law before we started, but I learned enough to know that the opportunities are worth pursuing.

– E.S., Danbury, CT