Elder Law Attorney in Tulsa, OK
A diagnosis, a fall, or even a phone call can change everything. If your family is trying to figure out what comes next what Medicaid covers, whether any assets can be protected, what options are still on the table you're in the right place.
Licensed in Oklahoma
WealthCounsel Member Attorney
Oklahoma Bar Association
Most Families Don't Know What Their Options Are Until It's Almost Too Late.
Long-term care is expensive. In Oklahoma, nursing home care can cost $5,000 to $8,000 or more per month. Most families assume Medicare covers it. It doesn't, not for the long term. Medicaid does, but qualifying requires navigating a complex set of rules about income, assets, and timing that most people have never heard of before they suddenly need to understand them.
The families we work with are usually in one of two situations: they're planning ahead because they've seen what happened to someone else's family and they don't want that for theirs, or they're already in a crisis and trying to figure out what, if anything, can still be done. Both situations are workable. But earlier is always better.
Elder law planning may be urgent for your family if:
A parent or spouse has recently been diagnosed with a serious illness or cognitive decline
Your family is trying to understand whether Medicaid is an option
You're worried about losing a lifetime of savings to nursing home costs
A parent is already in a care facility and you don't know what happens to their assets
You're a veteran or surviving spouse who may qualify for VA pension benefits
You have a family member with special needs who depends on government benefits
You want to plan now so your family isn't in this position late
Elder Law Services at Wiszneauckas Law
-
Medicaid Planning
Medicaid pays for long-term care but only after you've met strict eligibility rules around income and assets. Medicaid planning helps families understand those rules, protect what they can, and navigate the application process.
-
Medicaid Asset Protection Trusts
A Medicaid Asset Protection Trust transfers assets into an irrevocable trust that protects them from Medicaid's spend-down rules, while still allowing the grantor to benefit from the income those assets generate.
-
Veterans Asset Protection Trusts
Veterans and surviving spouses who qualify for the VA's Aid and Attendance pension benefit may be able to receive significant monthly financial assistance for long-term care.
-
Special Needs Planning
Leaving assets directly to a loved one with disabilities can disqualify them from Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income, and other government benefits they depend on.
What Our Clients Had To Say
Why Tulsa Families Choose Wiszneauckas Law for Elder Law
Honest Answers, Not More Confusion.
Elder law is one of the most confusing areas of legal planning. Medicaid rules change. Benefits programs have eligibility requirements most families have never heard of. We explain everything in plain language including what the rules are, what your options are, and what we'd recommend for your specific situation.
Planning Ahead or In a Crisis, We Handle Both
Some families come to us years before care is needed. Others call us the week a parent enters a nursing home. We work with families at every stage, and we're honest about what's possible given where you are in the timeline.
One Attorney Who Understands the Whole Picture
Elder law doesn't exist in isolation. Medicaid planning affects estate plans. Asset protection strategies affect beneficiary designations. A Veterans trust has to coordinate with the rest of the family's planning. You work directly with Geoff, who understands how all of it connects.
Who We Work With
We work with people across northeastern Oklahoma who are ready to plan ahead.
Young families setting up their first will, naming guardians for their kids, and protecting what they're building
Business owners who need their company protected and their personal estate plan to match
Adult children helping a parent through a long-term care decision or a Medicaid question
Retirees updating an old plan, funding a trust, or preparing for what comes next
Young adults turning 18 and needing a basic set of healthcare and financial documents before they head off to college
Brand and business owners registering trademarks, copyrights, or forming a nonprofit
How We Protect Everything You've Built
1
Schedule Your FREE 90 minute Consultation
We start with an honest conversation about your family's situation, your timeline, and what options are actually available to you.
2
We’ll Design Your Custom Plan
Together we build a plan tailored to your family's specific circumstances, whether that means a Medicaid Asset Protection Trust, a Veterans planning strategy, a Special Needs Trust, or a combination of tools. You'll know exactly what we're recommending and why before we draft a single document.
3
Rest Easy Knowing Your Future Is Secure
You leave with a plan you understand, documents that hold up, and the peace of mind that comes from knowing your family has done everything it can to protect what you've spent a lifetime building.
Serving Tulsa and Surrounding Communities
We serve families across Tulsa and the surrounding communities, including Broken Arrow, Owasso, Jenks, Bixby, Sand Springs, Sapulpa, Glenpool, Catoosa, Collinsville, Skiatook, Bartlesville, Claremore, Verdigris, Inola, Pryor Creek, Wagoner, Coweta, Muskogee, Mannford, Bristow, Okmulgee, and the rest of northeastern Oklahoma. Virtual consultations are available for clients across the state.
See all areas we serve →
Don't Wait Until There Are No Options Left.
The families who come to us with the most options are the ones who planned before the crisis hit. But even if you're already in a difficult situation, there is almost always something we can do. The first step is a simple conversation.
Want to Know More About Elder Law in Tulsa, Oklahoma?
Elder law is one of the most urgent and least understood areas of legal planning. Most families don't start thinking about Medicaid, long-term care, or asset protection until a health crisis forces the conversation, and by then, some options are already off the table. The families that fare best are the ones who planned ahead, even if just by a few years.
Wiszneauckas Law helps families throughout Tulsa and northeastern Oklahoma navigate the full range of elder law issues including Medicaid planning and Medicaid Asset Protection Trusts, Veterans Asset Protection Trusts for qualifying veterans and surviving spouses, and Special Needs Trusts for families with a loved one who relies on government benefits. We also work closely with families on the estate planning side to make sure elder law strategies coordinate with wills, trusts, and beneficiary designations.
We serve families across the Tulsa metro and surrounding communities like Broken Arrow, Owasso, Jenks, Bixby, Sand Springs, Sapulpa, Claremore, Bartlesville, Muskogee, Wagoner, Pryor Creek, and beyond. Virtual consultations are available for clients anywhere in Oklahoma.
Wiszneauckas Law is located at 2626 E 21st St Suite 5, Tulsa, OK 74114. To schedule a free 90-minute consultation, call (918) 918-9479 or visit wiszlaw.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
An elder law attorney helps families navigate the legal and financial issues that come with aging, including Medicaid planning, long-term care asset protection, Veterans benefits, and planning for loved ones with disabilities. Elder law overlaps significantly with estate planning, and the two areas are best handled by an attorney who understands how they connect.
-
Medicare covers short-term skilled nursing care after a qualifying hospital stay, typically up to 100 days under specific conditions. It does not cover long-term custodial care, which is the kind of care most families need when a parent can no longer live independently. Medicaid is the primary public benefit that covers long-term nursing home care, but qualifying requires meeting strict income and asset rules.
-
Nursing home costs in Oklahoma typically range from $5,000 to $8,000 or more per month depending on the facility and level of care required. At that rate, a lifetime of savings can be depleted in a matter of years. Medicaid planning and asset protection strategies exist specifically to help families avoid that outcome, but they work best when started well before care is needed.
-
Oklahoma's Medicaid program looks back five years before a long-term care Medicaid application to identify asset transfers. Gifts or transfers made within that five-year window can result in a penalty period during which Medicaid benefits are delayed. This is why Medicaid asset protection planning works best when done well in advance, the sooner assets are protected, the sooner the look-back clock starts running.
-
Simply giving assets to your children to reduce your countable assets is one of the most common and most costly Medicaid planning mistakes. Those transfers are subject to the five-year look-back period and can result in a significant penalty period during which you're not eligible for benefits. There are legal strategies for protecting assets while working toward Medicaid eligibility, but they need to be structured correctly to work.
-
The VA's Aid and Attendance pension benefit provides monthly financial assistance to qualifying veterans and surviving spouses who need help with daily living activities. It's one of the most underutilized benefits available to veteran families and can provide significant financial support for in-home care, assisted living, or nursing home costs. Eligibility is based on service history, income, and net worth, and a Veterans Asset Protection Trust can help families structure their assets to qualify.
-
A Special Needs Trust holds assets for a beneficiary with disabilities without disqualifying them from means-tested government benefits like Medicaid and SSI. Without one, leaving assets directly to a disabled beneficiary whether through a will, a trust, or a beneficiary designation can cause them to lose those benefits. If you have a family member with disabilities who relies on government assistance, a Special Needs Trust is an essential part of your estate plan.
-
Not necessarily. While earlier planning almost always means more options, there are strategies that can still help even after a parent has entered a nursing home. The right approach depends on how long they've been in care, what assets remain, and what the family's goals are. The first step is a conversation we'll tell you honestly what's possible given where you are.