Beware “Medicaid Planners” who are not attorneys
You should NEVER have an attorney tell you that they can guarantee your Medicaid application is approved. You should NEVER have an attorney tell you they are an “expert” in elder law or special needs planning unless they have been Board certified by the state of Florida. And if you come across a non-attorney who tells you they are an “expert”, you should RUN, not walk, the other way because more than likely, that non-attorney is trying to sell you a financial product, such as an annuity.
When someone who is not an attorney prepares documents, such as personal services contracts or revocable living trusts, and they are providing advice about how to use these documents and explaining how the documents are supposed to work, this is considered the unlicensed practice of law in Florida. If the non-attorney tells you they have an attorney on staff to help them prepare these documents, and that attorney has never talked to you or met with you to discuss your Medicaid issues, this also violates the Florida Bar ethics rules. Before you do any Medicaid planning, educate yourself and seek out an attorney who is experienced in Elder law issues, preferably someone who is board certified in Elder law.