What is Elder Law?

Elder Law is a specialty of law that caters to the needs of older clients and those with disabilities. It encompasses such areas as long-term care planning, care coordination, Medicare, managed care, payment for health care, Social Security and retirement income planning, Medicaid and other public benefits eligibility planning, planning for persons with special needs, special needs trusts, housing, residential care options, such as retirement living communities, assisted-living facilities, nursing homes, financial and health care decision-making through the use of durable powers of attorney; health care and end-of-life decision-making through the use of advance directives, estate administration, estate and tax planning.

Under this holistic approach, we handle general estate planning (Wills and Trusts), counsel clients about planning for incapacity with alternative decision making documents, such as advance directives and financial powers of attorney, represent families when a conservatorship is unavoidable, and assist our clients in planning for possible long-term care needs with a Life Care Plan.

This holistic approach requires a team of professionals. Our team includes Attorney Monica Franklin, who has been Certified as an Elder Law Attorney (CELA); Attorney Bruce Hill, an experienced Elder Law litigator and Certified Mediator; Licensed Clinical Social Worker & Elder Care Coordinator Susie Stiles Wilson; Elder Care Coordinator Judy Wyrick (B.S. Psychology); Office Manager Trish Kennedy, and other staff members who will be working for you and with you in your relationship with our Elder Law practice. For detailed biographies about each team member, click on the links above.

Who we are

At Hill & Franklin, we are devoted to providing legal services with the highest level of expertise, compassion and sensitivity to all of our clients. Our job is service and our challenge is to give peace of mind to our clients. We will be successful only by providing high quality work in a timely fashion and by going the extra mile for our clients. This means that we have to think about what we are doing, check on our own work, and be attentive to all client needs.

Monica Franklin focuses her practice exclusively on Elder Law. An Elder Law practice is traditionally centered on the needs of seniors and their families, but an elder law attorney also provides legal services to disabled persons of any age. Ms. Franklin's practice includes Long-Term Care or Medicaid Planning, Special Needs Trusts and Planning, Estate Planning (Wills, Trusts, Powers of Attorney, and Living Wills), Conservatorships, and Probate. Ms. Franklin is Certified as an Elder Law Specialist by the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization as well as the National Elder Law Foundation.

Bruce Hill is an experienced trial attorney. His law practice is focused exclusively on mediation, elder law litigation and personal injury litigation.

We serve clients throughout east Tennessee.