An elder law attorney practices a combination of law and financial planning. They are responsible for the estate planning, health and housing planning and family law issues that come up as people age in America. Many times, elderly people will hire an elder law attorney to help ensure their estate is taken care of once they pass, and their lifestyle is maintained as they get older. Given the fact that people are getting older and having fewer children, it helps to have a professional elder law lawyer take care of things that, in the past, would have been taken care of by ones children.