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Attorney or CMP?
Here's how to choose.

Not every Medicaid situation needs an attorney. Not every situation is safe with just a CMP. Here's how the category breakdown works — and how we match you without taking per-lead kickbacks.

A soft path through golden grasses toward gentle light on the horizon

Do I need an elder-law attorney or a Certified Medicaid Planner?

Use a Certified Medicaid Planner for straightforward spend-down with one state, one applicant, no home transfers, and no gifts in the last 5 years. Use an elder-law attorney when there's a community spouse, a home transfer, a trust, a disabled child, active litigation, or an applicant already in a facility.

When a CMP is enough

  • Single applicant with clear asset picture
  • No gifts or below-market transfers in the last 60 months
  • No home transfer planned
  • Applicant still in the community, planning 1-5 years out
  • Single-state situation (no multi-state property, no snowbirding)
  • Typical fee range: $1,500–$4,500 flat

When you need an attorney

  • Community spouse in the picture, especially with retirement accounts
  • Any home transfer strategy (caregiver-child, sibling exception)
  • Trust work (MAPT, disability trust, Miller Trust)
  • Applicant already in a facility or imminent admission
  • Existing gifts within the 5-year lookback
  • VA Aid & Attendance stacking
  • Contested Medicaid denial or estate-recovery claim
  • Typical fee range: $4,000–$15,000 (higher for crisis/litigation)

How we match

We maintain a vetted network of elder-law attorneys (NAELA members in good standing) and Certified Medicaid Planners (CMP-credentialed via the Certified Medicaid Planners Governing Board) across all 50 states. Matching is free for families. Professionals pay a flat subscription fee to be in the network — not a per-lead fee. This is deliberate: per-lead fees incentivize over-referring families to expensive engagements they don't need.

We ask for a brief intake (name, state, situation, timeline) and send your information only to the one professional you select, never to a broader network.

Start the match

Tell us a little about the situation and we'll connect you with one vetted professional within one business day — no broader broadcast, no per-lead kickbacks.

Timeline
Preferred match
Not sure? Pick You recommend — we'll choose CMP vs attorney based on the situation you describe below.

Prefer to read first? Start with the Medicaid-planning hub so your first call with a planner covers more ground.

Elder-law attorneys are licensed to practice law — they can draft trusts, represent you in court, and litigate Medicaid denials. CMPs hold a nationally-recognized credential for Medicaid planning but cannot provide legal advice or draft legal instruments. Attorney fees typically run $3k-$15k; CMP fees run $1.5k-$5k.
Look for NAELA membership (National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys) plus a Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA) credential from the National Elder Law Foundation. Your state bar's elder-law section directory is a good secondary filter.
Check the Certified Medicaid Planners Governing Board directory. The credential is issued only after passing a comprehensive exam plus maintaining continuing-education credits.
Because per-lead fees incentivize matchmakers to over-refer families to expensive attorneys when a CMP would have been the right fit. We charge professionals a flat subscription to be in the network — aligning the incentive with right-level-of-help rather than highest-fee-capture.
Sixty months of financial records (bank statements, tax returns, deeds, retirement-account histories), a complete property inventory for the applicant and spouse, marriage/divorce paperwork if applicable, any existing estate-planning documents, and — if VA Aid & Attendance is also in play — military service records and discharge paperwork.