Law Firm for Aged Care and Retirement Planning: According to the latest data, Queensland has more than 49,158 people living in residential care facilities, constituting about 7% of the population.
Between 2019 to 2020, more than one million people availed of aged care services in Australia, with some availing of several programs during a year. Residential care plays an essential role in enabling the elderly to live a high quality of life and improve their mental and physical well-being.
But before planning your future living arrangements, it is better to consult one of the Brisbane law firms that are experienced in such matters and will help you make the right choice.
Here are the other reasons behind hiring legal expertise to help you with aged care and retirement planning.
How can a lawyer help you?
It is a big transition in your life and involves making significant changes. A lawyer will help you plan your retirement and future healthcare requirements while considering your lifestyle, financial circumstances and other related aspects.
For example, before choosing a retirement village, you should consider the costs, facilities, location, amenities, and other factors. Your lawyer will help you decide all that.
Brisbane has 15 retirement villages which you can choose from, including those in Albion, Robertson, Durack, Cleveland, and Bridgeman Downs.
Types of services your lawyer will provide
These are some of the retirement planning services your lawyer will provide.
Moving to a retirement village
Before settling in a retirement village, you must decide which type of accommodation unit is suitable for you, with Leasehold, Licence, and Freehold villages being the three primary options.
The contracts related to these villages are incredibly complicated and contain technical issues which only an experienced lawyer can understand. They will review the terms and conditions and ensure you have all the necessary documents.
For example, the Queensland Government clearly states that owners of Villages should provide documents like village comparison, residence contract, prospective costs, village by-laws etc., within 21 days of signing the contract.
Taking care of the Residential Agreement
The Residential Agreement is one of the most important documents related to the transaction. It includes information such as the start and end dates of the cooling-off period, ongoing contribution amount, resident exit entitlement, payable exit fee, living conditions in the Village, and retirement village facilities.
Before signing the agreement, your solicitor will ensure you have the required documents like Prospective Costs Document (PCD) and Village Comparison Document (VCD).
Your lawyer will ensure the VCD is updated following the Retirement Villages Act 1999. Before proceeding, you must be satisfied with the Retirement Living Agreement because breaching the contract’s terms involves legal consequences.
For instance, the scheme owner (the person in charge of the Village’s operations) might impose a high exit fee.
Choosing the right accommodation
You can also ask your lawyer to help you search for suitable accommodation. For instance, you should consider if there are facilities which enhance your lifestyles like gyms, tennis courts, and lap pools.
You must also consider the homes’ accessibility, paying attention to details like the door opening sizes, ramps, lift requirements, step height at the entrance doors, and slope of hills on the main grounds.
Is the range of amenities satisfactory? For instance, are you close to your family, medical facilities, shopping options, and availability of public transport?
How to choose an aged care lawyer?
You should choose a law firm in Brisbane with a team specialising in elderly law and the aged care sector. You might ask them if they have represented clients living in aged care facilities and provided retirement planning advice.
You should hire the services of one of the Brisbane law firms before moving into a Village since they will take care of the legal requirements, go through the essential details, and ensure the seller discloses all the necessary information. You will find the transition smooth and hassle-free.
