HearthWhat the guide does, what an attorney does, and what each one costs.
The guide is not a replacement for a lawyer, and we will not pretend otherwise. It is the map: it tells you what has to happen, in what order, by when, and what the words mean. An attorney is the person who signs, files and represents. Most families need both, and the families who read first pay a lawyer for less time.
Task by task
| Task | The guide | An attorney | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Understanding which documents your parent needs | Explains power of attorney, health care proxy, living will and HIPAA release in plain language, with the order to do them in | Confirms which instruments your state recognizes for your parent's situation | Usually folded into a planning package |
| Drafting and signing those documents | Tells you what each document must contain and what to bring to the signing | Drafts, witnesses and notarizes them so they hold up with banks and hospitals | $300 to $1,500 per document, or bundled |
| Full estate plan: will, trust, directives | Explains what each piece does and when a trust is even worth considering | Drafts and executes the plan, funds the trust, updates beneficiaries | $1,500 to $10,000+ as a flat package |
| The five year Medicaid look back | Walks the month by month math and lists the transfers that create a penalty | Reviews five years of real statements and defends the transfers that already happened | Part of Medicaid planning |
| Medicaid application and spend down | Document checklist, timeline and the questions the caseworker will ask | Files the application and restructures assets to protect the home and spouse | $3,000 to $10,000 flat, higher in a crisis |
| Crisis planning, parent already in a nursing home | Tells you what to do in the first 72 hours and what not to sign | Moves fast on protective transfers, annuities and spousal allowances | $5,000 to $15,000+ |
| Guardianship or conservatorship | Explains when it is needed and how signing documents early avoids it | Files the petition and represents the family in court | $3,000 to $10,000+, more if contested |
| Appealing a denial or discharge notice | Gives the deadlines, who to write to and what an appeal letter must say | Represents your parent at the hearing | $250 to $500 an hour |
| Keeping the family organized | Worksheets, family meeting scripts and the Hearth care plan the whole family shares | Not what attorneys do, and not what they bill for | Included with Hearth |
What attorney fee guides actually say
These are published fee ranges from public attorney fee guides, quoted directly and linked, so you can check them yourself. They are ranges, not quotes for your family.
“Most people pay between $2,000 and $10,000 for Medicaid planning from an attorney, though simpler tasks like application help can start around $1,000 and complex asset protection plans can exceed $15,000.”
“Elder law attorney fees are usually either hourly ($250 to $500) for general advice or a flat fee for a defined service such as Medicaid long term care planning, which commonly runs $3,000 to $10,000.”
“Somewhere between $200 and $500 an hour for most families, with flat fees of $1,500 to $10,000+ for defined projects like a will or a Medicaid application.”
“A Medicaid planning attorney can help navigate complex eligibility rules and protect family assets, but with fees ranging from $2,500 to $15,000, you need to understand what you are paying for.”
Cost breakdown
| Line | Attorney | With the guide |
|---|---|---|
| First consultation | $0 to $500 | Included |
| Document drafting and signing | $300 to $1,500 each | Guidance included, signing still needs a professional |
| Estate plan package | $1,500 to $10,000 | Explained step by step |
| Medicaid planning and filing | $3,000 to $10,000 | Checklist, math and timeline included |
| Crisis or contested work | $5,000 to $15,000+ | First 72 hours plan included |
| Hourly rate when scope is open | $200 to $500 per hour | No hourly clock |
A full elder law engagement commonly lands between $9,000 and $15,000 once documents, Medicaid planning and asset protection are added together.
The guide is $49.99, or $99.99 for your state. It does not do the legal work. It means the hours you do buy from a lawyer are spent on your parent's situation instead of on explaining what a health care proxy is.
Hire an attorney if any of these are true
- Your parent is already in a nursing home or applying for Medicaid under time pressure
- There is a house, a farm, a business or a second property to protect
- A spouse still living at home depends on the same income and assets
- Your parent can no longer sign documents, so guardianship may be the only route
- Family members disagree, or someone is contesting decisions
- Money has moved in the last five years: gifts, property transfers, added names on accounts