The perfect time for you to be organizing your assets is now. It’s not when you are old and physically and mentally challenged. It is now when you are still able to make sound decisions. However, there are lawyers like Atty. Sean J Nichols who have devoted themselves to elder law. Originally from Plymouth, MI, Atty. Nichols is an expert in estate planning, Medicaid, probate and other elder law issues.

Why he specialized in Elder Law

"I wanted my career to be full of purpose. People go into law because they want to protect people, legally. When you first start out, you’ll realize that almost everyone’s rights need to be defended. The ones closest to my heart are the elderly. This is a personal advocate for me," Nichols shared.

Nichols has handled plenty of cases as a probate attorney. He has also handled legal capacity issues, Medicaid planning, and is considered as a leading estate planning attorney. Usually, the children of the elderly come to him, not the elderly themselves. This is because estates have not been settled and with the elderly so weak, the children are afraid it would lead the families to dispute their.parents’ decisions.

"It’s a tough job, but something you’ll grow to love because you’re helping to preserve your client’s dignity. When handled well, you can even preserve relationships in the family," Nichols said.

"Sean worked smart. He was able to talk to most of my siblings before any real trouble with the estates began. My parents’ assets were well-managed, thanks to his direction. Best of all, he reminded us that we are doing this to make our parents’ lives easier. It was a smooth experience, in general. What’s amazing is we’re all okay with each other. He’s a lawyer who does his job and more...a confidante you can trust with good advice," said Alicia Miller, 48, who has been dealing with both parents who are well into their 70s and with poorly managed estates.

Who are his clients

"My clients are usually the children first because they are the ones who seek my help. It’s very rare that an elderly would seek a lawyer’s help because they feel they need assistance with their Medicaid, or they were taken advantage of. I see a trend in people denying they are getting old. It’s human nature to resist weaknesses. And that’s alright," Nichols said.

What Nichols advises his non-elderly clients is to try out his services first. See if they find any use for it, then act as first-hand witnesses to what estate planning and Medicaid planning can do for you.

"That’s exactly what we did," Alicia Miller recounts. "My husband and I had our estate planned by Sean first. Then, when everything was set, we just told my parents about our experience. We eased them into the idea that they could use the same assistance. We didn’t even push for Sean yet. When they saw the paperwork, though, they asked that we connect them to our own lawyer."

"That’s not even the best part of my job yet," Nichols said. "Just the other day, a family came to me because a company failed to give their elderly parents the medical benefits they deserve. They paid for it. So, my new clients felt cheated. It just feels good to protect clients like these, you know. People think that just because they are old, they can be abused and taken advantage of. That’s what really irks me. So when it comes to cases like these, it becomes a personal advocacy," Nichols said.


The Law Office of Sean J. Nichols is dedicated to assisting clients throughout legal issues that come with aging including elder law, estate plan, probate law and more. Contact our office today if you need an estate planning attorney. For more information, please visit: http://seanjnichols.com/