Ms. Laura Raymond Swann, Private Law Practice

Laura Raymond Swann's practice focuses exclusively on Elder Law, Estate Planning, Probate, Guardianship and Trust Law. In addition to experience counseling clients with both simple and complex estates and drafting traditional estate planning documents, such as wills, trusts, and powers of attorney, Laura also assists clients with Medicaid planning. Laura's Elder Law practice focuses on the legal needs of the elderly. As an Elder Law attorney, she handles general estate planning issues and counsels clients about planning for incapacity alternative decision-making documents. She assists the client in planning for possible long term care needs, including nursing home care, which includes the preservation and transfer of assets of a client seeking to avoid spousal impoverishment of the spouse who will still reside in the community when the other spouse enters a nursing home. It also involves planning for Medicaid and disability planning, including the use of durable powers of attorney, living trusts and 'living wills' for financial management and health care decisions, and other means of delegating management and decision making to another in case of incompetence or incapacity.

Her practice also consists of probate and estate administration, including petitioning for the appointment of personal representatives of estates, preparing and evaluating inventory and appraisements, monitoring the creditors claims process, petitioning for instructions regarding interpretations of wills or for instructions regarding actions to be taken by the personal representative, and petitioning for final distributions. She also advises personal representatives regarding their fiduciary duties, the sell of assets, and the preparation of accountings and reports. Laura's practice includes guardianship administration for guardians of the person and estate of an incapacitated person.

Laura is a member of the American Bar Association, the Texas Bar Association, and the Bell-Lampasas-Mills Counties Bar Association, and served as President of the Bell-Lampasas-Mills Counties Bar Association in 1999-2000. She served as President of the Bell County Young Lawyer Association in 1994-1995. Laura has been a frequent lecturer on estate planning topics to both professional and community groups in the Central Texas area. She's also active in several community and civic organizations.