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Elder law attorneys in Kentucky focus on the legal issues facing aging adults and their families: Medicaid planning for long-term care, drafting and updating durable powers of attorney and healthcare directives, guardianship and conservatorship proceedings, special needs trusts, and asset protection. Many also handle probate and estate planning, but elder law is the specific subset focused on care planning and benefits eligibility. See the Kentucky healthcare proxy and financial power of attorney forms.
Federal law (and Kentucky's implementation) imposes a 5-year lookback period for Medicaid long-term care eligibility. Any uncompensated transfers (gifts, transfers to family members, transfers to a non-Medicaid-qualified trust) within the 5 years before applying for Medicaid can trigger a penalty period during which Medicaid won't pay for nursing home care. This is the main reason Medicaid planning needs to start years before care is actually needed — and the main reason elder law attorneys exist as a distinct practice area.
Estate planning attorneys in Kentucky average $273 per hourClio Legal Trends Report 2025Verified Jan 1, 2025 for wills and estates work. Flat-fee packages run roughly $819–$1,638 for a simple individual will and $3,440–$5,160 for a basic revocable trust. Online and DIY services cost $30–$300 for the same documents — see the will cost calculator for a side-by-side comparison.
Kentucky allows estates under $30,000 to use a simplified Petition to Dispense with Administration procedure, which is a form rather than a court case and typically doesn't require an attorney. For larger estates, formal probate is involved enough that retaining counsel is usually practical — the procedural work is what they're there for. Use the Kentucky probate calculator to estimate the costs.
In Kentucky, the situations where retaining counsel is typically worth the cost are: blended families with children from prior relationships; ownership of a business, rental property, or significant investment assets; special-needs dependents who need a special-needs trust to preserve benefits; leaving meaningful sums to non-spouse, non-child beneficiaries (Kentucky taxes those inheritances); substantial property held in multiple states. If none of these describe your situation, the simpler online and DIY tools are often enough.
Search 3,941 estate law firms across 51 states.
Firm listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any specific firm or attorney. Contact firms directly to discuss your situation and verify their current practice areas and availability.
30 firms
Named after the year Williamsburg and Whitley County were established, 1818 Law Firm serves southeastern Kentucky with estate planning, probate, trust administration, and elder law services.
Location
217 Main StreetWilliamsburg, KY 40769
Phone
(833) 844-1818
Established
2024
Service Area
5 counties
Andrea Bussell provides personalized estate planning and elder law services from offices in Carlisle and Paris, serving 11 counties across Central and Eastern Kentucky. One of the few local attorneys serving the Buffalo Trace and surrounding regions.
Location
106 E Main StCarlisle, KY 40311
Phone
(606) 401-2049
Service Area
11 counties
Bluegrass Elderlaw provides personalized estate planning solutions in Lexington including wills, trusts, powers of attorney, probate, guardianship, Medicaid and asset preservation, and long-term care planning.
Location
120 N Mill Street, Suite 201Lexington, KY 40507
Phone
(859) 281-0048
Service Area
7 counties
An Elizabethtown firm dedicated to elder law and estate planning, with a strong focus on Medicaid planning, veterans benefits, and special needs trusts. Both principal attorneys live and practice in Hardin County.
Location
2403 Ring RoadElizabethtown, KY 42701
Phone
(270) 506-0246
Service Area
7 counties
For decades, Bamberger & Brancato probate lawyers in Owensboro have assisted clients with estate planning, probate administration, and elder law needs throughout western Kentucky.
Location
111 W 2nd StreetOwensboro, KY 42303
Phone
(270) 926-5050
Established
1981
Service Area
4 counties
Founded in 2017, Berkley Oliver provides estate planning, probate, and elder law services to seniors and families in Shelby County and throughout central Kentucky. The firm helps families plan for long-term care and asset preservation.
Location
77 Mack Walters Rd, Suite 200Shelbyville, KY 40065
Phone
(502) 205-9005
Established
2017
Service Area
6 counties
Founded in 1998, Brightwell Elder and Probate Law serves clients in the greater Louisville area including Jefferson County, Oldham County, and Bullitt County with elder law and probate services.
Location
713 East Market Street, Suite 100Louisville, KY 40202
Phone
(502) 589-9254
Established
1998
Service Area
3 counties
The Lexington probate lawyers at Bunch & Brock have been serving Kentuckians since 1976, providing estate planning, probate, trust administration, and business succession planning throughout Kentucky.
Location
126 W. Maxwell St., #200Lexington, KY 40508
Phone
(859) 254-5522
Established
1976
Service Area
Statewide
Multi-state estate planning firm focused exclusively on estate planning, probate administration, trust administration, and business planning. Founded by John W. Crow, the firm has 9+ attorneys serving Christian County and the Pennyrile region from its Hopkinsville office, with additional locations in Tennessee.
Location
203 E 9th StHopkinsville, KY 42240
Phone
(270) 569-0006
Service Area
4 counties
A dedicated elder law practice in Munfordville serving 9 counties spanning the gap between Elizabethtown and Glasgow. Attorney Will Clauson specializes in Medicaid planning to protect family assets from long-term care costs.
Location
210 E. Union StreetMunfordville, KY 42765
Phone
(270) 524-4529
Service Area
9 counties