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Todd Ratner

Bacon & Wilson, P.C.

Todd Ratner

Bacon & Wilson, P.C.

Todd Ratner

Bacon & Wilson, P.C.

"A successful law practice is best built on an understanding of the practical aspects of the transactions themselves, not just the laws governing them. My business education and corporate consulting background enhance my ability to appreciate and comprehend the complex legal issues that face local and public companies. In addition, being born and raised in the greater Springfield area, I fully appreciate the challenges faced by area residents and businesses. Ultimately, I consider each single legal transaction to be an event in a long-lasting relationship rather than a closed-ended occurrence. I keep that perspective with all my professional relationships." 

Todd is a member of the firm's Estate Planning & Elder, Real Estate and Business & Corporate departments. He handles all aspects of estate planning, all types of commercial and residential closings for buyers, sellers and lenders, as well as general business matters.

Prior to joining Bacon & Wilson, P.C., Todd spent six years holding senior business and managerial consulting positions in a fortune 100 company.

Education:
The Pennsylvania State University School of Law, J.D.
University of Connecticut School of Law, Visiting Student
Boston University Graduate School of Management, MBA
Babson College, BS

Areas of Practice:
Business & Corporate, Estate Planning & Elder, Real Estate & Zoning

Bar & Court Admission:
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts
State of Connecticut

Professional Associations & Memberships:
Massachusetts Bar Association
Hampden County Bar Association
Hampden County Estate Planning Council

Professional & Community Activities:
Volunteer: Massachusetts Bar Association Dial-A-Lawyer
Committee Member: Annual Max Classic Golf Tournament to benefit the Baystate Medical Center Children's Hospital
Committee Member: Omar T. Pace, M.D. Recognition Gala to benefit the American Cancer Society

Awards, Achievements & Appointments:
Recipient: SuperLawyers Rising Star Award Boston Magazine, 2007

Publications & Lectures:

  • Press: Family Affair - Second-generation Members Become Part of Bacon & Wilson’s Growth Pattern, BusinessWest, April 2, 2007
  • Author: Cautionary Contemporary Estate Planning Tales - Learning Our Lessons from the Rich and Famously Departed, Business West, April 2, 2007
  • Author: Vacation Home Co-ownership - Proper Documentation Can Help Avoid Some Headaches, Business West, August 21, 2006
  • Author: Business in a Box - Is Franchising Risk Worth the Potential Payoff?, Business West, January 9, 2006
  • Author: Eminent Domain - Ruling Blurs the Line Between Public Use and Private Economic Development, Business West, September 19, 2005
  • Author: Real Estate Buyer Beware - What You Don’t Ask May Come Back to Haunt You, Business West, August 22, 2005
  • Guest: "On the House" radio program on 560AM, July 2005
  • Author: Caught in the Web? Beware Your Email Becoming A Binding Contract, Business West, May 30, 2005

 

Firm Description

Bacon & Wilson's Elder Law group is unparalleled in Western Massachusetts and Northern Connecticut. Clients have convenient access to its services with offices in Springfield, Westfield and Northampton. The focus is on preserving assets and protecting the rights of elders, and Bacon & Wilson boasts many successive generations as clients.

Hours

Please contact this attorney for firm hours by clicking here.

Cost

What Is an Elder Law Attorney?

Main Office

33 State Street
Springfield, MA 01103

9 Chapel Street
Westfield, MA 01085

31 Trumbull Road
Northampton, MA 01060

6 South East Street
Amherst, MA 01002

On the web

View Firm Website


Medicaid 101
What Medicaid Covers

In addition to nursing home care, Medicaid may cover home care and some care in an assisted living facility. Coverage in your state may depend on waivers of federal rules.

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How to Qualify for Medicaid

To be eligible for Medicaid long-term care, recipients must have limited incomes and no more than $2,000 (in most states). Special rules apply for the home and other assets.

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Medicaid’s Protections for Spouses

Spouses of Medicaid nursing home residents have special protections to keep them from becoming impoverished.

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What Medicaid Covers

In addition to nursing home care, Medicaid may cover home care and some care in an assisted living facility. Coverage in your state may depend on waivers of federal rules.

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How to Qualify for Medicaid

To be eligible for Medicaid long-term care, recipients must have limited incomes and no more than $2,000 (in most states). Special rules apply for the home and other assets.

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Medicaid’s Protections for Spouses

Spouses of Medicaid nursing home residents have special protections to keep them from becoming impoverished.

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Medicaid Planning Strategies

Careful planning for potentially devastating long-term care costs can help protect your estate, whether for your spouse or for your children.

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Estate Recovery: Can Medicaid Take My House After I’m Gone?

If steps aren't taken to protect the Medicaid recipient's house from the state’s attempts to recover benefits paid, the house may need to be sold.

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Help Qualifying and Paying for Medicaid, Or Avoiding Nursing Home Care

There are ways to handle excess income or assets and still qualify for Medicaid long-term care, and programs that deliver care at home rather than in a nursing home.

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Are Adult Children Responsible for Their Parents’ Care?

Most states have laws on the books making adult children responsible if their parents can't afford to take care of themselves.

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Applying for Medicaid

Applying for Medicaid is a highly technical and complex process, and bad advice can actually make it more difficult to qualify for benefits.

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Alternatives to Medicaid

Medicare's coverage of nursing home care is quite limited. For those who can afford it and who can qualify for coverage, long-term care insurance is the best alternative to Medicaid.

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ElderLaw 101
Estate Planning

Distinguish the key concepts in estate planning, including the will, the trust, probate, the power of attorney, and how to avoid estate taxes.

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Grandchildren

Learn about grandparents’ visitation rights and how to avoid tax and public benefit issues when making gifts to grandchildren.

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Guardianship/Conservatorship

Understand when and how a court appoints a guardian or conservator for an adult who becomes incapacitated, and how to avoid guardianship.

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Health Care Decisions

We need to plan for the possibility that we will become unable to make our own medical decisions. This may take the form of a health care proxy, a medical directive, a living will, or a combination of these.

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Estate Planning

Distinguish the key concepts in estate planning, including the will, the trust, probate, the power of attorney, and how to avoid estate taxes.

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Grandchildren

Learn about grandparents’ visitation rights and how to avoid tax and public benefit issues when making gifts to grandchildren.

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Guardianship/Conservatorship

Understand when and how a court appoints a guardian or conservator for an adult who becomes incapacitated, and how to avoid guardianship.

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Health Care Decisions

We need to plan for the possibility that we will become unable to make our own medical decisions. This may take the form of a health care proxy, a medical directive, a living will, or a combination of these.

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Long-Term Care Insurance

Understand the ins and outs of insurance to cover the high cost of nursing home care, including when to buy it, how much to buy, and which spouse should get the coverage.

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Medicare

Learn who qualifies for Medicare, what the program covers, all about Medicare Advantage, and how to supplement Medicare’s coverage.

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Retirement Planning

We explain the five phases of retirement planning, the difference between a 401(k) and an IRA, types of investments, asset diversification, the required minimum distribution rules, and more.

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Senior Living

Find out how to choose a nursing home or assisted living facility, when to fight a discharge, the rights of nursing home residents, all about reverse mortgages, and more.

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Social Security

Get a solid grounding in Social Security, including who is eligible, how to apply, spousal benefits, the taxation of benefits, how work affects payments, and SSDI and SSI.

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Special Needs Planning

Learn how a special needs trust can preserve assets for a person with disabilities without jeopardizing Medicaid and SSI, and how to plan for when caregivers are gone.

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Veterans Benefits

Explore benefits for older veterans, including the VA’s disability pension benefit, aid and attendance, and long-term care coverage for veterans and surviving spouses.

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