Committed to Helping Our Clients Succeed
Estate Planning, Elder Law
Medicaid & VA Benefits,
Successions Probate &
Trusts, Special Needs,
Social Security /
Disability
- Our Location
Shreveport, LA
- Contact
(318) 524-9966
Joe Gilsoul
Joe has been practicing law for over 40 years.
His deep expertise focuses on estate planning, trusts (including special needs trusts), successions (probate), Medicaid, VA benefits, Social Security disability appeals, asset protection planning, and coaching families in these areas.
At age 17 Joe signed up for a three-year stint with the U. S. Army and served a year in Viet Nam.
He then worked full time while attending the University of South Florida in Tampa, graduating with honors in accounting. After graduation he worked for the U. S. General Accounting Office and then six and one-half years for the Internal Revenue Service in New Orleans.
While working full time at IRS, he attended Loyola Law School at night. Upon graduation from law school he joined a mid-sized Shreveport law firm and on August 1, 2016, he started his own firm, Gilsoul & Aronson, LLC, where he was joined by the highly regarded elder law attorney, Lee Aronson.
Lee Aronson
Lee Aronson has been practicing law in Shreveport for over 2 decades.
When Lee graduated from Tulane law school, he went to work for a state agency out of The Office of the Governor called The Mental Health Advocacy Service. There he saw first-hand what a devastating effect Alzheimer’s and other mental illnesses have not only on a patient, but also the patient’s entire family. People who had worked hard all of their lives but had not planned properly ended up in nursing homes against their will while their families struggled emotionally and financially.
Lee then went to work for Legal Services of North Louisiana, a non-profit law firm. And again, he saw families with heartbreaking stories. The clients that affected Lee the most were the children or grandchildren trying to help a loved one but were running into red tape and legal obstacles. And to make matters worse, sometimes those legal obstacles were caused by the parent or grandparent having paid for bad professional advice.
In order to help, Lee practiced in many different areas of the law, including health care law, consumer protection law and housing law. By necessity, Lee also practiced in more obscure areas of the law such as property tax law and burial and cremation law.
Because many of Lee’s clients are elderly or in poor health, he often makes referrals to home health agencies, hospices and assisted living facilities. He also makes referrals to financial advisors, CPAs, insurance professionals and tax professionals.
What We Are Expert At
Legal Practice Areas
Estate Planning
A good estate plan doesn’t just cover what happens to your wealth and belongings after you die. Your plan should also deal with who would have the legal authority to help you if you were unable to make your own decisions while you are alive.
Medicaid / VA Planning
Paying for long term care is expensive. Medicaid or VA Benefits may be able to save you a fortune.
Special Needs
If you have a disabled relative, you need to be particularly careful with your will, especially if your relative is unable to manage money. You don’t want to put a loved one’s public benefits, especially their health insurance, at risk. Louisiana law says a disabled child is a forced heir: you have to leave them something. Special needs planning ensures that your disabled loved one is protected once you’re gone.
Successions:
After someone dies, the heirs do not automatically get their inheritance. Heirs have to go through a legal process called a succession in order to get their inheritance. The good news is that in Louisiana, thanks to the Napoleonic Code and our unique laws, a succession can be done much faster than in other states.
Special Needs News & Updates
Special Needs Planners: A Safe Beacon in the Storm
Special needs planners provide expert legal planning and advocacy to and on behalf of families with loved ones who have special needs.
Understanding Medicaid Work Requirements: What Families Need to Know
My brother is autistic and is in his 50s. He wasn’t formally diagnosed until about ten years ago, for many reasons, but primarily because autism wasn’t well understood years ago.
The ARC's Online Tool Helps Families Plan for the Future
Through its “Build Your Future”; online tool, The Arc’s Center for Future Planning helps adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities and their families plan ahead so they can live as independently as possible throughout their lives.
Click on the links below to find valuable information regarding elder law and much more!
MEDICAID PLANNING IN LOUISIANA
MEDICAID PLANNING IN LOUISIANA Joseph R. Gilsoul Gilsoul & Associates, LLC Elder Law Attorneys Introduction This outline gives only the briefest explanation of Medicaid planning, which is but one part of the larger process of estate planning. It will not replace the assistance of a qualified attorney—it is a summarization, not a blueprint. There are …
Why Not Just Use an Off-the-Shelf Power of Attorney Form?
A durable power of attorney is one of the most important estate planning documents you can have. It allows you to appoint someone to act for you (your “agent” or “attorney-in-fact”) if you become incapacitated. Without a power of attorney, your loved ones would not be able to make decisions for you or manage your …
Why Not Just Use an Off-the-Shelf Power of Attorney Form? Read More »
Most Adults With Special Needs Require Estate Planning Documents
In most cases, people with disabilities have the capacity to create their own estate planning documents, and in some cases it is crucial that they do so.
FIRST RESPONDERS LEARNING (CRIT), Crisis Response Intervention Training to assist possibly mentally challenged individuals
SHREVEPORT, La. – Recognizing when a person is in distress or dealing with a mental health disorder is the subject of special instruction at the Shreveport Police and Fire Training Academy. First responders are learning Crisis Response Intervention Training to better respond to individuals in distress to help find a solution other than jail time …
Living Trusts with a Spouse: What You Should Know
Living trusts are often touted as the magic bullet of estate planning, promising smooth sailing…
Opting for End of Life
Ten states now permit Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) — why do patients request to end their lives early, and how do medical providers make sure they mean it? Esmé Deprez recalls getting a succinct text from her father, Ron, one morning. “He was ready to die,” she says, “and he needed me to help.” …
Louisiana Disabled Verterans Get Discount On Property Taxes!
Do you know who really won the 2022 midterm elections? Disabled veterans! That’s because Louisiana voters approved an amendment to our Constitution that LOWERS the PROPERTY TAX bills for many disabled veterans. Unfortunately, not all disabled veterans are eligible. The property tax break is only for veterans whose disability is connected to their military service. …
Louisiana Disabled Verterans Get Discount On Property Taxes! Read More »
Auto Insurance For Elders
As you get older, does your auto insurance get more expensive? Most people tell me that their car insurance premiums are outrageously high, and they only seem to go up and up. But some people tell me that’s a good thing because “old people” are horrible drivers, and their auto insurance should be outrageously high. …
Elder Law News & Updates
Auto Insurance For Elders
As you get older, does your auto insurance get more expensive? Most people tell me that their car insurance premiums are outrageously high, and they only seem to go up and up. But some people tell me that’s a good thing because “old people” are horrible drivers, and their auto insurance should be outrageously high. …
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What Our Client's Say
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Awarded to Lee Aronson, first place for his writing about senior issues in his monthly column for The Best of Times, a free monthly magazine for mature adults in Northwest Louisiana.
