Most people assemble their team one professional at a time, and miss a piece — they see a lawyer but skip the financial planning, or hire a planner but never update the legal documents. This is a planning tool, not a directory. Answer a few questions and you’ll know which professional to call first, what they do, what they typically cost, and how to find a good one — while it’s still your call. It’s built by a navigator who sells none of these services, so it can be honest about who you actually need, and who you don’t yet.
This tool was built by Dan Stine, a Houston-based senior transitions specialist. Some examples and state-specific guidance lean Texas — that’s where Dan’s expertise sits. The framework and professional roster apply nationally; Texas-specific details (Lady Bird Deeds, Texas Medicaid rules, Harris County resources) are flagged where they appear, so you can tell what’s specific to Texas and what applies anywhere.
Answer a few questions about where you are in your own planning, and we’ll point you to the professional to call next — what they do, what they cost, and how to find a good one. You set the pace.
If you’re planning for your own future — not a parent’s — the question is which professionals belong on your team, and in what order to bring them in. Most people do it piecemeal: they see one attorney and never get to the money, or they hire an advisor and leave the legal documents out of date. The tool at the top of this page gives you a route based on where you are right now. The sections below answer the questions people ask most, and the full roster lists every professional with what they do, what they cost, and how to find a good one. You set the pace — knowing who these people are is the win, even if you don’t call them this month.
For most people planning ahead, the first call is to an elder law attorney. They draft the documents that decide what happens if something changes — your durable power of attorney for finances, your healthcare power of attorney, your will, and any state-specific tools. These documents are what authorize everyone else on your team to step in and help if you can’t be part of a decision yourself. You likely need an elder law attorney if you don’t have current powers of attorney, if your documents are more than about ten years old, or if you’re worried about paying for long-term care. Most offer a flat fee for the basic set — commonly $1,500 to $3,500 — which is small next to the cost of a family scrambling without legal authority in a crisis.
If you’re in Texas, ask specifically about a Lady Bird Deed — a Texas-only document that can pass your home to your heirs without probate or Medicaid estate recovery. Not every attorney uses them well, so ask about their experience, and look for the CELA (Certified Elder Law Attorney) designation either way.
The two overlap, and many attorneys do both, so you may not need two people. The difference is emphasis. An estate planning attorney focuses on how what you’ve built passes to the people and causes you choose — wills, trusts, beneficiaries. An elder law attorney focuses on protecting you while you’re living — powers of attorney, long-term care, and qualifying for Medicaid if you ever need it. If the cost of future care is your real worry, start with elder law. If it’s purely about passing on assets, estate planning may be enough.
Usually the lawyer first, because the legal documents are what let everyone else act on your behalf. Once those are in place, a fee-only financial planner answers the question most people lose sleep over: will my money last? The phrase that matters is fee-only — a fee-only certified financial planner is paid by you, not by commissions on products they sell, so the advice has no built-in conflict. The exception to the order: if your only question is whether your savings will hold up, it’s perfectly fine to start with a fee-only financial planner. The two work together, so the sequence isn’t rigid — what matters is that neither piece gets skipped.
A daily money manager is one of the least-known and most useful people you can add. They handle the routine of your finances — paying bills on time, organizing statements, flagging anything that looks wrong — whether keeping up has started to feel like a burden, or you simply want a trusted set of eyes before it ever does. A daily money manager is one of the strongest safeguards against the financial scams aimed at older adults, working alongside a durable financial power of attorney from your elder law attorney. They typically charge $75 to $150 an hour for just a few hours a month.
An aging life care professional — often a nurse or social worker by training — assesses your situation and helps you plan and manage your care over time. You may still see the older term, geriatric care manager; they mean the same role. An aging life care professional is especially valuable if your family lives far away, or if you’d simply rather direct your own care than lean on relatives. A geriatric care manager isn’t free — expect $100 to $250 an hour — but for a free first call that covers some of the same ground, your Area Agency on Aging is the place to start.
If selling, modifying, or moving from your home is on the horizon, the home gets its own short list: a Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES) for a sale timed around a move, a senior move manager for the downsizing and logistics, and a HUD-approved reverse mortgage counselor if you’re weighing your home as a funding source. For these, the tool gives you three clear paths depending on where you live — a Houston-area specialist, a Texas-wide option, and a national directory — so wherever you are, you’re not left guessing. If the real question is whether to stay or move at all, our Staying-Home decision is built for exactly that.
The full roster the tool draws from. Each routes to a national directory; Texas-specific notes and home-side help appear inside the tool where they apply.
Drafts the documents that let others act for you — powers of attorney, healthcare directive, will, and state tools like a Texas Lady Bird Deed. Usually your first hire.
Handles how your assets pass to the people you choose — wills, trusts, beneficiaries. Often the same person as your elder law attorney.
Tells you whether your money will last. Fee-only means paid by you, not by commissions — advice with no built-in conflict.
Pays bills, organizes statements, and watches for fraud when keeping up gets hard. A quiet, powerful guard against scams.
A care coordinator (often a nurse or social worker) who assesses and manages your care over time. Older name: geriatric care manager.
Required, independent counseling before any reverse mortgage — explains how it works, with nothing to sell you.
A physician who specializes in older adults — how your medications interact, your balance, your memory, the whole picture.
Stands beside you in the medical system — appointments, hospital stays, hard decisions. Choose one before you need one.
Compares LTC insurance policies. Paid by commission, so go in clear-eyed — best looked at in your early-to-mid 60s.
Handles a move — downsizing, sorting decades of belongings, the logistics. Not paid by senior-living communities.
A Realtor trained for later-life moves — timing a sale around a move-in, and how a sale can affect Medicaid eligibility.
Writing down your wishes is free and entirely your call; pre-paying a contract is where the traps live — read every line.
A free, independent advocate for facility residents. The smartest time to call is before you choose a community.
The free front door to almost everything — information, referrals, benefits, meals, transportation. Always the right first call if budget is a concern.
Most people planning ahead do. An elder law attorney drafts the documents that decide who can act for you if you can’t — your financial and healthcare powers of attorney, your will, and state-specific tools like a Texas Lady Bird Deed. These documents authorize everyone else on your team to help. You likely need one if you don’t yet have current powers of attorney, or if long-term care or Medicaid is a concern.
Most offer flat-fee packages for the basic set — commonly $1,500 to $3,500 for powers of attorney, a healthcare directive, and a simple will. More complex planning, such as Medicaid asset protection or trusts, often runs $4,000 to $8,000. Ask for the flat fee up front, before any work begins.
Estate planning is about transferring what you have after death — wills, trusts, beneficiaries. Elder law is about protecting you while you’re living — powers of attorney, long-term care, and Medicaid qualification. They overlap, and many attorneys do both, so you may not need two people. If the cost of future care is your real worry, start with elder law.
Usually the attorney first. The legal documents authorize people to act on your behalf, and almost everything else depends on them being in place. Then a fee-only financial planner addresses whether your money will last. If your only question is whether your savings hold up, you can start with the planner — but most people benefit from the documents coming first.
A daily money manager handles the routine of your finances — paying bills on time, organizing statements, and watching for fraud — when keeping up gets hard, or simply when you want a trusted set of eyes. They typically charge $75 to $150 an hour for a few hours a month, and they are one of the strongest safeguards against the scams aimed at older adults.
NAPFA (napfa.org) lists fee-only fiduciary planners, and the CFP Board’s directory confirms the credential. Fee-only means they’re paid by you, not by commissions on products, so the advice has no built-in conflict. Ask two questions when you screen one: “Are you a fiduciary 100% of the time?” and “Exactly how are you paid?”
About $100 to $250 an hour, or $400 to $800 for an initial assessment. Also called a geriatric care manager, this professional coordinates and manages your care over time — especially helpful if your family lives far away. For a free first call that covers some of the same ground, start with your Area Agency on Aging.
For most people the lawyer comes first, because the legal documents are what let everyone else act on your behalf. The exception is if your only question is whether your retirement savings will last — then a fee-only financial planner is a fine starting point. The two work together, so the order isn’t rigid.
While you’re well and it’s still your call — that’s the whole point. Durable powers of attorney for finances and healthcare, chosen by you now, mean the people who step in later are people you picked. Waiting until there’s a problem can remove that choice, sometimes entirely.
For nearly everyone planning ahead, yes. The flat fee for a basic document set is small next to the cost — financial and emotional — of a family scrambling without legal authority during a crisis. For most people, an elder law attorney is the highest-value first hire on the team.
Sooner than most people expect. Medicaid planning carries a five-year look-back, so it works best done years before care is needed. And powers of attorney only help if they’re signed while you can still sign them. If you don’t have current documents, now is the right time — not after something changes.
Start with the team-builder at the top of this page: a few questions and you’ll know which professional to call first. For most seniors planning ahead, the order is an elder law attorney for the documents, a fee-only financial planner for the money, and then specialists — a daily money manager, an aging life care professional, or a Senior Real Estate Specialist — as your situation calls for them.
Five guides for planning your own future, in your own voice: how to plan, how to pay, and whether to stay in your home.
The planning workbook — before that first meetingOrganize what you have before you pay for an attorney’s hour. Gather what you have, understand what matters, know who to call.
The funding map — how I’ll pay for itWhere the money comes from — savings, home equity, insurance, and benefits — and which professional helps you reach each one.
Should I stay in my home, or move?The Stay-or-Move tool walks the honest question, and the cost comparison runs the real five-year math.
Helping a parent through this instead?Here’s the same tool from the family’s perspective — the Planning Who-to-Call tool, written for an adult child navigating a parent’s transition.