• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Mendel Law Firm, L.P.

Attorneys & Counselors

Call Now: (281) 759-3213

  • FB
  • TW
  • IN
  • RSS
LP Payment button
  • Home
  • Our Firm
    • About Our Firm
    • About The American Academy
    • Advantages of Working With Our Firm
    • Attorney and Staff Profiles
    • Mission Statement
    • Multimedia
    • Published Books
    • The Academy Fellow Designation
  • Services
    • Asset Protection & Business Planning
    • Elder Law & Medicaid Services
      • Are You A Caregiver
      • Coping With Alzheimer’s
      • Guardianship & Conservatorship
      • Hospice Care
      • Emergency Medicaid & Nursing Home Planning
      • Medicaid Planning
      • Veteran’s Benefits
    • Estate and Gift Tax Figures
    • Estate Planning Services
    • Family-Owned Businesses & Farms
    • Financial Planning Assistance
    • Incapacity Planning
    • IRA & Retirement Planning
    • Legacy Planning
    • LGBTQ Estate Planning
    • Pet Planning
    • SECURE Act
    • Special Needs Planning
    • Trust Administration & Probate
  • Seminars
  • Testimonials
    • Client Testimonials
    • Representative Clients
    • Review Us
  • Resources
    • Areas We Serve
      • Baytown
      • Conroe
      • Galveston
      • Houston
      • Pasadena
      • Woodlands
      • West University Place
    • Elder Law Reports
    • Elder Law Resources
      • Galveston Elder Law
      • Houston Elder Law
      • Sugar Land Elder Law
      • West University Place Elder Law
      • Woodlands Elder Law
    • Estate Planning Resources
      • Estate Planning Checkup
      • Estate and Gift Tax Figures
      • Estate Planning Definitions
      • Estate Planning Reports
      • Incapacity Planning Definitions
      • Is Your Estate Plan Outdated?
      • Top Estate Planning Techniques
      • Top 10 Estate and Legacy Planning Techniques
    • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Avoidance Tax Planning FAQs
      • Avoiding Probate FAQs
      • Business Succession Planning FAQs
      • Charitable Gifting FAQs
      • Elder Law FAQs
      • Estate Planning FAQs
      • Frequently Asked Questions for Families Without an Estate Plan
      • IRA and Retirement Planning FAQs
      • Legacy Wealth Planning FAQs
      • LGBTQ Estate Planning Frequently Asked Questions
      • Living Trusts FAQs
      • Medicaid FAQs
      • Nursing Home Planning FAQs
      • Pet Planning FAQs
      • Power of Attorney FAQs
      • Probate FAQs
      • Trust Administration FAQs
      • Trust Administration & Probate FAQs
      • Trusts FAQs
      • Veterans Benefits FAQs
    • LGBTQ Resources
    • Probate Resources
      • Houston Probate
      • Sugarland Probate
      • Woodlands Probate
      • West University Place Probate
    • Probate & Trust Administration Resources
      • Bereavement Resources
      • How to Know if You Need Extra Help With Your Grieving
      • Loss of a Loved One
      • The Mourner’s Bill of Rights
      • Things You Need To Do When a Loved One Passes Away With a Trust
      • Things You Need To Do When a Loved One Passes Away With a Will
      • Trust Administration & Probate Definitions
    • Special Needs Resources
  • Contact Us
  • BLOG
Home » BLOG » What Is a Certified Elder Law Attorney?

What Is a Certified Elder Law Attorney?

January 27, 2016 by Stephen A. Mendel, Estate Planning Attorney

If you find yourself in need of the services of an elder law attorney you are likely trying to figure out how to choose the right attorney for your needs. Choosing an attorney can be a difficult and time-consuming undertaking for even a simple legal problem. Issues relating to the elderly, however, are rarely simple and often require the services of an attorney who specializes in elder law. How do you know though that an attorney specializes in elder law? One indication is that the attorney carries the distinction of being a Certified Elder Law Attorney, or CELA.

The designation of CELA can only be used by an attorney who has applied, and been certified, by the National Elder Law Foundation, or NELF. NELF is a non-profit organization that was created with the help of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, or NAELA. NAELA was formed back in 1988 as a response to the growing need for attorneys who focus on the unique and complicated needs or the elderly. Because elder law is such a relatively new area of the law, those who were focusing on the legal needs of the elderly decided that an organization was needed to help share information and resources. NAELA was created to fulfill those needs.

Not long after the creation of NEALA it became clear that a certification program was needed for attorneys who wished to become experts or specialists in the area of elder law. Unlike other areas of the law that focus on a narrow area  of technical expertise, elder law requires an attorney to understand how numerous areas of the law or legal issues impact a specific demographic, in this case the elderly. To ensure that attorneys focusing on elder law had the education and experience to do so, NELF developed a certification program (CELA) in 1994 which was accredited by the American Bar Association in 1995.

The CELA application process is rigorous, requiring an attorney must be in good standing, have substantial involvement in the practice of Elder Law, take 15 hours of continuing legal education in Elder Law each year, submit to peer review, and successfully pass a comprehensive written examination. The pass rate for the exam only averages 60 percent, a good indication of how difficult the exam is. An attorney who acquires the CELA distinction must re-certify every five years to ensure that he or she remains qualified.

If you are looking for an elder law attorney, check with potential attorneys to see if they are CELA certified to help you narrow down the field of potential candidates.

 

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Stephen A. Mendel, Estate Planning Attorney
Stephen A. Mendel, Estate Planning Attorney
Mr. Stephen Mendel is an attorney who focuses a substantial part of his practice on estate planning. Mr. Mendel’s guiding principle is to provide his clients with quality legal services tailored to each client’s specific needs and goals.
Stephen A. Mendel, Estate Planning Attorney
Latest posts by Stephen A. Mendel, Estate Planning Attorney (see all)
  • Famous Estates-Champ or Chump? Nelson Mandela - September 27, 2019
  • Famous Estates-Champ or Chump? Jane Fonda - September 13, 2019
  • Texas Trivia – Name the first of six flags to fly over Texas. - September 6, 2019

Filed Under: Elder Law Tagged With: CELA, certified elder law attorney

Other Articles You May Find Useful

  • Can an Elder Law Attorney Help Me If I Suspect Nursing Home Abuse?
  • What Do Elder Law Lawyers Do?
  • Can I Take Back Assets in a Medicaid Trust?
  • How Are Elder Law Fees Handled?
  • What Are the Disadvantages of a Medicaid Trust?
  • What is a Guardian or Conservator in Texas?
  • About Stephen A. Mendel, Estate Planning Attorney

    Mr. Stephen Mendel is an attorney who focuses a substantial part of his practice on estate planning. Mr. Mendel’s guiding principle is to provide his clients with quality legal services tailored to each client’s specific needs and goals.

    Primary Sidebar

    The Mendel Law Firm

    Follow Us

    • FB
    • TW
    • IN
    • RSS

    Blog Subscription

    Plan For Your Future and Protect Your Legacy

    • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

    HOUSTON

    The Mendel Law Firm, L.P.
    1155 Dairy Ashford, Suite 104
    Houston 77079
    United States (US)
    Phone: (281) 759-3213
    Fax: 281-759-3214

    Map

    map

    Office Hours

    Monday8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
    Tuesday8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
    Wednesday8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
    Thursday8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
    Friday8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

    Footer

    The Mendel Law Firm

    The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this or associated pages, documents, comments, answers, emails, or other communications should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information on this website is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing of this information does not constitute, an
    attorney-client relationship.

    © 2021 Mendel Law Firm, All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Contact Us | Disclaimer | Site Map | Powered by American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys