Becoming an elder law attorney has allowed me to truly enjoy every single day spent at the office. Protecting our families and assets is so important, and as an elder law attorney I am able to do just that: with over a decade of experience in estate planning and administration, as well as Medicaid planning and applications, I will provide you with the protection you need.  I particularly enjoy assisting families with a special needs beneficiary.  I know how important it is to plan for your loved one with special needs.

Planning for the future brings my clients a peace of mind in knowing that they have made necessary preparations. Whether you become disabled, require skilled nursing care, or pass away, your assets are protected to ensure the care you need will be provided and your families will not have to struggle with unnecessary issues. Together, we put a plan in place to allow these matters to be handled both effectively and efficiently.

I desire to aid my clients and their loved ones in preserving and protecting what is already theirs as well as giving them the aid and advice they need in planning for their special need loved one.  Failing to plan with a knowledgeable planner could result in loss of benefits needed to ensure proper care. Whether it be VA benefits, Medicaid benefits or Disability benefits, I strive to get my clients all that they deserve. I work with individuals to create estate plans which may include powers of attorney, wills, trusts, and other documents in preservation of assets, special needs and long-term care planning. I also stand side-by-side with my clients in obtaining these benefits. I don’t consider this work, I consider it an honor bestowed upon me which provides me with the opportunity to make my clients’ lives better. I further practice Real Estate Law, because it allows me to simplify and guide my clients through a seemingly complicated stage in life. I do this by helping my clients through purchase agreements, mortgage documents, title documents, transfer documents, and closings.

Outside of the office, I am a mother and wife. I obtained my Juris Doctorate from Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham, AL in 2002, whilst raising three little girls. After graduation, I moved to Sacramento, CA where I passed the California Bar Exam and took a job in business litigation. I decided to move back to Alabama because I felt it would be the best place to raise my daughters, and took a job in a busy real estate practice. Although I enjoyed the work, I felt like there was something missing from my practice. I had clients ask questons about asset protection and special needs.  I decided to research that area of law and all the practice areas involved, and opened Givens Law Firm, PC in 2009.  Later, having more work than one attorney could handle, I brought in some more attorneys.  I was excited to expand professionals knowledge in this difficult area of the law.  A client warned me to be careful how fast I grew -- and he was right!  Recently, I changed the direction of the firm to remove the chaos that grew from a quick expansion.  Now, I have a team with a similar vision.  A desire to help others plan for quality aging with assets passing and they choose.  Aging gracefully - planning for disabled loved ones - and receiving the care they choose is important.  At TPL we thrive to give you clarity when you feel overwhelmed with disabled or aging loved ones.  Let us help you plan for those turning points in life.  

Firm Description

Laura Givens at her firm, Turning Point Legal,  can assist you with all areas of elder law, probate, estate planning (including special needs), Medicaid, long-term care planning, real estate, business law, wills, trusts, and estate administration.

The TPL team has assisted many clients and families using their extensive experience with protecting valuable assets.

If you are a parent or primary long-term caregiver of a disabled family member, a plan can be put in place to ensure unique physical, financial, and health care needs are met when you can no longer provide for them. A special needs trust, powers of attorney, and other documents with distinctive language can protect a beneficiary with a disability. It allows them to utilize government assistance while protecting inherited assets.

Gifting money and assets directly to those with special needs may disqualify them for essential benefits under the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medicaid programs. Since these benefits only cover the bare necessities such as food, housing, and clothing, you’ll want to find a way to provide the resources necessary for them to enjoy a richer quality of life. Fortunately, we can make sure that assets held in trust to benefit a recipient of SSI and Medicaid will not affect eligibility requirements.

Establishing a special needs trust early on is how your loved one can receive funds from gifts, bequests, or lawsuit settlements without affecting their government benefits.

We can help you provide better care for your family member with years of experience to establish an effective special needs trust. You’ll be able to use more of your money to supplement your disabled beneficiary’s quality of life instead of paying for expensive private care.

The estate planning and elder law attorneys at Turning Point Legal have broad expertise and experience helping families protect valuable assets in the state of Alabama. They provide elder law and estate planning services, including special needs, Medicaid qualification, long-term care, and estate administration.

Contact us to learn more about our Special Needs Trust services in Alabama.

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