Elder Law in Sarasota: the Local Picture
Sarasota skews heavily retiree (median age about 48), an established arts-and-culture retirement destination on the Gulf. An established Gulf-coast retirement city with a high older-adult share and many 55+ communities, strong for elder law, Medicaid, and trusts.
With a median age around 48, Sarasota has the families elder law is built for: aging parents who want to stay in control, protect the home, and pay for care without losing everything, and adult children trying to help, often from another state. We handle all of it remotely.
Long-Term Care and Medicaid
Skilled nursing in Florida commonly runs several thousand dollars a month and up, and Medicare doesn’t cover long-term custodial care. Nursing-home Medicaid can, but giving assets away to “qualify” usually backfires under the five-year look-back. There are legitimate ways to protect the home and savings, whether you’re planning ahead or already in a crisis. See Medicaid planning → · check eligibility →
Protecting the Home
The homestead is the family’s biggest asset and is generally exempt for Medicaid eligibility. The real risk is estate recovery after death. A lady bird deed keeps the home out of probate and beyond recovery while your parent keeps full control. See how the home is protected →
Avoiding a Guardianship
If a parent loses capacity with no plan, the family’s only route is a court guardianship, which is slow, public, and expensive. A durable power of attorney, a health-care surrogate, a living will, and a HIPAA authorization, signed while your parent is competent, are the documents that block it. See the full elder-law guide →
Helping a Sarasota parent from anywhere.
A free 30-minute consult maps the care, the home, and the documents, by phone or video.
Book your free consultCommunities We Serve
We work with families across Sarasota County, including The Meadows, Palmer Ranch, Gulf Gate, Bird Key, Laurel Park, Siesta Key, Longboat Key, and beyond. Any deed in your plan records with the Sarasota County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller. We are a Miami firm serving Sarasota remotely; this is not a Sarasota office.
Local Senior Resources in Sarasota
You don’t have to do this alone, and not all of it is legal. For care navigation, Sarasota County’s Area Agency on Aging is the Area Agency on Aging for Southwest Florida. It runs Florida’s Elder Helpline (1-800-96-ELDER) and free SHINE Medicare counseling, your first call for a Medicaid screening, caregiver support, and local senior services. We handle the legal side, the Medicaid-qualifying plan, the deed, the powers of attorney, and coordinate with those resources so nothing falls through the cracks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have an office in Sarasota?
No. StepUp Law is a Miami firm that serves Sarasota and Sarasota County families remotely, by phone and video. That works well for adult children handling a Florida parent’s Medicaid, deed, or incapacity plan from out of state.
Will Medicaid take my parent’s Sarasota-area home?
The Florida homestead is generally protected for Medicaid eligibility, so it is not sold to qualify. The real risk is estate recovery after death, which runs against the probate estate. A lady bird deed keeps the home out of probate and beyond recovery.
What documents keep my parent out of guardianship?
A durable power of attorney, a designation of health-care surrogate, a living will, and a HIPAA authorization, signed while your parent is clearly competent. Florida courts must consider these less-restrictive alternatives before appointing a guardian.
Updated June 7, 2026. Reviewed by Kevin D. Klagge, Esq., Fla. Bar No. 99502. Attorney Kevin Klagge represents families, businesses, and international clients in estate planning and international law, with a focus on Florida legal tools. He litigates estate and business issues in court. General information about Florida law, not legal advice, and no attorney-client relationship is created. We serve Sarasota and Sarasota County residents remotely. Medicaid figures change annually and eligibility turns on your specific facts.