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As practitioners in the world of estate planning and elder law, we're all aware that America's aging population faces countless and challenging legal issues. Beyond our normal scope of expertise, there are a plethora of issues that the elderly confront, like Medicare technicalities and eligibility, elder abuse, consumer fraud that targets the aged and housing problems. For some of us, we've watched

Michael Gilfix

July 1, 2011

12 Min Read
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Michael Gilfix

As practitioners in the world of estate planning and elder law, we're all aware that America's aging population faces countless and challenging legal issues. Beyond our normal scope of expertise, there are a plethora of issues that the elderly confront, like Medicare technicalities and eligibility, elder abuse, consumer fraud that targets the aged and housing problems. For some of us, we've watched several wealthy individuals lose a bulk of their assets during the past few years when the economy took a downturn and widespread fraud (for example, Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme) took its toll on their investments. So, rather than enjoy retirement as wealthy individuals, many of those clients now face economic hardships regardin...

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About the Author

Michael Gilfix

Gilfix & La Poll Associates, LLP

Michael Gilfix is a nationally known authority in the field of law, aging and estate planning. A 1973 graduate of Stanford Law School, he is a Fellow of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), a co-founder of NAELA, and a Certified Legal Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law. Mr. Gilfix regularly addresses professional audiences, including attorneys, physicians, certified public accountants, and financial planners, nationally as well as locally.
An entrepreneur in the legal field, Mr. Gilfix created the first legal aid program for elders in 1973. He served as Executive Director of that program, Senior Adults Legal Assistance (SALA) of Santa Clara County, for ten years. In 1983 he created the law firm that is today known as Gilfix & La Poll Associates LLP . 

Mr. Gilfix is a California legal advisor to Partnership For Caring, the national organization devoted to rights of individuals to make their own health care decisions. 
A highly respected practitioner and a prolific author, Mr. Gilfix is co-author of Tax, Estate & Financial Planning for the Elderly: Forms and Practice (Matthew Bender) and is the principal author of Medi-Cal and Asset Preservation, a book- length set of materials for practicing attorneys. He regularly contributes to a wide variety of legal journals such as Trusts and Estates Magazine, where his writings have discussed the role of personal values in estate planning, life care communities, and asset preservation planning.