Disclaimer: No material or content on this site, whatsoever, is intended to provide legal advice or to advise, direct, advocate or in any way influence any course of action or inaction taken by the reader or anyone else. No material or content on this site, whatsoever, should be taken as or relied upon as legal advice. This site and the material it contains exists for the sole purpose of providing general information about ANTOON LAW FIRM, L.L.C. Each and every reader has a unique situation and faces circumstances unique to the rest of the world. A competent attorney licensed in the appropriate state is required to explain how the law applies to the reader’s or anyone else’s particular situation and circumstances. Consult a competent attorney licensed in the appropriate state before deciding on any course of action or inaction regarding legal issues within the respective state.  

...We tailor our participation in the practice of law accordingly, treating those needs as paramount. Our firm can be thought of as “Your firm.”
PERSONAL INJURY
People are not always comfortable seeking legal action after being injured by the negligence of another. After all, it was just an accident. However, the reality is that individuals and families often suffer greatly in the wake of such an accident and the only way to repay those harmed is through the avenues provided by the law. This is especially true when insurance companies try to shirk their responsibilities by low-balling on a claim or stalling in an effort to frustrate the claimant (and in an effort to let their invested monies build interest for as long as possible.) ANTOON LAW FIRM, L.L.C. wants to help you cut through the obstacles and red-tape and get you the relief that YOU DESERVE!
Whether you were injured by the deliberate or negligent actions of another, contact ANTOON LAW FIRM, L.L.C. to schedule a consultation and take the first step toward making yourself and your family whole again.
CRIMINAL LAW
Don’t face the mass resources of the Government alone. Call ANTOON LAW FIRM, L.L.C.

While our system of government and justice is the best in the world, the unfortunate reality is that it is far from perfect. Many victimless actions are punished as “crimes.” While these actions may be irresponsible and distasteful, most would be more appropriately handled outside of the criminal justice system. Good people have their lives disrupted every day because they 1) are wrongly prosecuted for a crime they did not commit 2) are prosecuted for a more serious crime than the one committed 3) are in the wrong place at the wrong time, or 4) are prosecuted for an action that while distasteful or irresponsible, should not rise to the level of CRIMINAL! 

We know the severity of the consequences arising from criminal prosecution and we know that those consequences are not limited to fines and jail exposure. While incarcerated, children are left without parents, parents are left without children and families are forced to struggle without the primary bread-winner. Jobs are lost as are the opportunities for future employment due to pending felony charges.

ANTOON LAW FIRM, L.L.C. has represented hundreds of clients on a multitude of criminal issues including:

     • DUI and Traffic Violations
     • Drug Charges
     • Violent Crimes
     • Thefts and Burglaries
     • White Collar Crimes
FAMILY LAW
Divorce: Other than the death of an immediate family member, a divorce is one of the most stressful experiences a person will endure. Whether a marriage is destroyed due to the actions of a partner or whether, due to no one’s fault, things just weren’t meant to be, ANTOON LAW FIRM, L.L.C. wants to help PROTECT and FIGHT for our clients at a time when they are most vulnerable. Do not leave the divorce process to chance; rights regarding property and custody are much harder to fix after a judgment is signed, if they can be fixed at all. Why go through the added stress of fighting the same battle twice? ANTOON LAW FIRM, L.L.C. wants to help you do things right the first time.

Custody and Child Support: Our children are the most valuable aspects of our lives. Even after a rocky relationship ends, whether in divorce or break-up, the stress of having to raise a child with someone else continues for at least 18 years. Although problem parents may have certain rights by law, a loving and responsible parent should take every step possible to ensure that they have considerable influence and impact on their child’s life. Just as importantly, they should do all within their power to make sure that the other parent contributes their fair share so that the child is provided for financially. ANTOON LAW FIRM, L.L.C. takes custody and child support seriously. Call us today.
LIFE and DISABILITY PLANNING
Call ANTOON LAW FIRM, L.L.C. to learn about options for your disabled loved ones.
Call: (337) 564-6919
A good estate plan use to be all that was needed to ensure that a person’s affairs were in order in preparation for death. However, technology has come a long way, keeping our bodies healthy longer than our minds and vice versa. In today’s world of modern technology, it is just as important to plan for life and disability as it is to plan for death.

Much like Estate Planning, the law provides special tools for Life and Disability Planners such as:

• Durable Powers of Attorney
• Health-Care Powers of Attorney
• Living Wills

• These tools are used to legally designate a trusted individual or individuals to act on your behalf if you are unable to   do so. However, times have changed and the boilerplate forms that have passed from attorney to attorney through the years are not always adequate to cover all the angles. ANTOON LAW FIRM, L.L.C. keeps up with the legal times and knows what provisions need to be included (or excluded) to protect you when you are not in a position to protect yourself.  

• Special Needs Trusts
• Continuing Tutorships
• Interdictions

• Most parents and grandparents do not know that leaving money or assets to a special needs child or grandchild could  disqualify that child/grandchild from receiving government benefits. However, the law provides for ways of leaving  these assets to a Trustee of a Special Needs Trust where the assets can be used for that child/grandchild’s benefit  WITHOUT jeopardizing government assistance. Moreover, Continuing Tutorships and Interdictions can be useful in  legally designating a parent or other loved one to administer the affairs of a disabled person who is unable to designate someone to act on their behalf or failed to do so (in a Durable and/or Healthcare Power of Attorney) prior to the onset of the disability. 
MEDICAID LONG -TERM CARE
Michael Antoon began his legal career practicing in this area of law. If you or a loved one need long-term nursing care or have been admitted to a nursing facility, call ANTOON LAW FIRM, L.L.C. today to evaluate your options. 
Nursing homes and skilled-care facilities provide essential services at a time when they are needed most. Unfortunately, those services are priced accordingly. Residents who private pay a nursing home can spend close to $6,000.00 per month to benefit from these services (that’s almost $70,000.00 per year!!) The effect is obvious; persons with small to moderate sized estates who live for several years in a nursing home can, at best, watch their estates deplete significantly and, at worst, be cleaned-out almost entirely.

However, certain persons may be eligible for Medicaid Long-Term Care benefits. Medicaid Long-Term Care benefits can help bear the cost burden for these services significantly! Like the tax code, Medicaid’s regulations are written in a way that creates many planning opportunities for applicants. This planning typically involves preserving assets in order to supplement government benefits when they are needed later in life. This affords a greater level of care than would be realized by someone who was forced to spend all their assets and rely solely on the minimal level of care provided by government benefits, alone. Also, contrary to popular belief, persons do not have to be “completely broke” to qualify. Spouses are allowed to retain a certain amount in assets and a minimum income in order to maintain subsistence. Also, the value of primary residences may be exempt up to a certain amount. These are just a few examples of allowances and exemptions provided for in Medicaid’s regulations. In fact, many persons qualify for Medicaid but do not know it. Other persons would qualify except for certain disqualifying factors that could be resolved easily and legally with the help of a knowledgeable attorney. Medicaid caseworkers will not typically volunteer information about these resolutions, which could save thousands per month, any more than an I.R.S. agent would volunteer information that would help someone pay less taxes. 

Myth: Although I know I need help in the application process, the nursing home will submit the Medicaid application for me so I do not need to pay an attorney to counsel me in this process.

Reality: Although most Nursing Homes have experience in completing and submitting Medicaid applications on residents’ behalf, the Nursing Homes ARE NOT trained to take advantage of planning opportunities or to resolve disqualifying factors. In fact, most nursing homes submit a Medicaid application automatically when a resident is admitted giving no thought to whether the resident is eligible or not. This puts the applicant at a huge disadvantage. When nursing home personnel do counsel residents/applicants regarding qualification, they often unwittingly do more harm than good, or at the least, offer solutions that are not as effective as the solutions that could be offered by a knowledgeable attorney. 

Moreover, planning and resolutions usually involve legalities that can only be executed by an attorney.

Myth: If I don’t plan within 5 years of going into a Nursing home then I lost my chance to make my situation better.

Reality: This is a common misconception created in large part by attorneys who, in an attempt to create fear and encourage action by potential clients, advertise that something MUST be done within 5 years or else nothing can be done. This is not so.

ANTOON LAW FIRM, L.L.C. acknowledges that while planning more than 5 years prior to needing a nursing home is prudent, there are still steps that can be taken within that 5 year window that can make the client’s situation better. Yes, early planning provides more options and increases the chances of successfully protecting more assets However, ALL PLANNING OPPORTUNITIES ARE NOT LOST IF NOT EXERCISED PRIOR TO 5 YEARS OF ENTERING THE NURSING HOME. Michael Antoon has experience helping hundreds of families realize benefits within that 5 year window.

ESTATE and NURSING HOME PLANNING
People avoid planning for their death for obvious reasons, after all, who wants to think about dying? Unfortunately, failing to plan can cause compounded problems for your loved ones once you are no longer here to make your final wishes known. Also, grandparents and parents are the respected “referees” of the family; what happens when the referee is gone? Imagine a sports contest without the referee and the disagreements and discord that would inevitably result. 

ANTOON LAW FIRM, L.L.C. wants to help you leave a set of rules behind that will keep the peace and ensure that your wishes are set forth in a fair, practical and effective manner. ANTOON LAW FIRM, L.L.C. has experience drafting:

​ • Wills
 • Testamentary Trusts
 • Living Trusts
 • Revocable Trusts
 • Irrevocable Trusts

Each of these legal tools performs special functions and may be appropriate for your comprehensive estate plan. ANTOON LAW FIRM, L.L.C. is experienced in putting these tools to use in order to see that your wishes are carried out and to help protect your estate from:

​ • Nursing Homes
 • The Government
 • Problem Heirs

Call ANTOON LAW FIRM, L.L.C. today to find out whether any of these tools are right for your situation. Please do not procrastinate – the unexpected occurs daily – make sure your loved ones are protected from the unexpected
SUCCESSIONS (PROBATE)
ANTOON LAW FIRM, L.L.C. has experience seeing families through Successions during these trying times. We would like the opportunity to help you and your family, as well.
The last thing that a grieving individual wants to do when a loved-one dies is leave the funeral home and go straight to an attorney’s office. We are very sympathetic to this fact. However, certain legal matters need to be addressed when loved-ones pass: 

• Title in homes, land and vehicles should be transferred in order to maintain insurance. 

• Ownership of other assets needs to be judicially transferred to the rightful heirs in order to confirm that ownership to the rest of the world. 

In Louisiana, the legal process of transmitting the deceased’s estate to his successors is known as a Succession (Probate in other states). This process becomes increasingly complicated and expensive as time passes from the deceased’s date of death. 
Relevant records and legal documents are harder to find and are more likely to get lost as time passes; heirs pass away leaving heirs of their own, further splitting the branches of heirship and making it more difficult and time- consuming for an attorney to locate and communicate with these heirs (and thus more expensive for the attorney to ultimately complete the succession.) 
SMALL BUSINESS FORMATION
It has never been harder to start a small business in the United States. The cost of doing business is prohibitive. Insurance rates are high due to frivolous lawsuits. Government entities impose taxes, licensing fees, onerous regulations and other unnecessary burdens. Young entrepreneurs want to create jobs and provide products and services that benefit society in exchange for a reasonable profit but find frustration at every corner. 

Despite the countless obstacles placed in front of young entrepreneurs, small business continues to serve as the economic backbone of this Country. Small business provides employment to a majority of the Country’s workforce and goods and services on a local level that deviate from the cookie-cutter substitutes offered by corporate chains. Rugged and determined entrepreneurs need to be counselled on legal issues to ensure that they not only choose a business entity form appropriate for their circumstances but that they operate in a manner that protects them from personal liability and minimizes the impact of government-imposed costs. 

ANTOON LAW FIRM, L.L.C. has experience in this field, after all, ANTOON LAW FIRM, L.L.C. is a small business. Entities created by do-it-yourself websites may not be valid in Louisiana. They may also try to sell you unnecessary services and hit you with extra costs. Most importantly, they cannot offer the COUNSELING that only a licensed Louisiana attorney can offer. Call ANTOON LAW FIRM, L.L.C., today to see if we can help you get your small business off-the-ground.

NOTE: Even if you simply own rental property you may benefit from forming a business entity 
to own the property 


1111 Ryan St. Lake Charles, LA 70601
Alyson Vamvoras Antoon, Attorney at Law
Michael N. Antoon, Attorney at Law
Call: (337) 564-6919
licensed in the State of Louisiana