New Urbandale Law Firm Helps The Little Guy

Urbandale now has one of the two law firms in the metro area that specializes in helping elderly people qualify for government nursing-home care without going bankrupt.

— a two-woman firm — specializes in helping people navigate the rules of the government's Medicaid program, and in helping small businesses with their legal and contract needs.

Julia Ofenbakh and Corrine McChesney moved their law offices from West Des Moines to Urbandale last month.

They will host an Urbandale Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand-opening reception at their law office at 3121 104th St. today from 5 to 7 p.m.

Young Firm 

The two women specialize in different areas of law. Both are young lawyers — Ofenbakh has been practicing for three years, McChesney for five.

Oddly enough, the art of fencing brought them together. 

Ofenbakh started her own firm right after she graduated from Drake Law School and passed the bar. She was also involved with a fencing club and knew McChesney's brother through that.

McChesney was doing civil litigation with a firm in Louisville, KY, but was looking to move back to Iowa. Her brother suggested she get to know Ofenbakh.

Medicaid Planning

McChesney said she decided to specialize in Medicaid planning and elder law because "I love old people. I decided that I wanted to do it when I lived in Kentucky."

Medicaid planning means that she helps people get ready to qualify for Medicaid's nursing home coverage when they "don't have enough assets to pay $7,000 a month to the nursing home."

She said planning with a lawyer who knows the rules helps people preserve assets legally. She said there is only one other firm in the Des Moines area that bills itself with that specialty.

She used the example of a couple who hired her recently. They had an income, some retirement assets, but didn't own their own home. The wife needed nursing home care, but they had been rejected by Medicaid.

McChesney said the solution was as simple as cashing out the woman's $8,000 life insurance policy, which had a cash value of $1,500.

McChesney knew theat Medicaid automatically rejects claims of a person who has life insurance with a cash value of $1,500 or more.

"He could have applied 10, 20 times himself and never figured it out because they're not going to volunteer that information," she said, of state and federal Medicaid officials.

"Our biggest challenge is convincing people that, yes, we can help you," she said.

Business and Law

Ofenbakh has used her business background — she and her mother started a successful business providing home nursing care in New Jersey and she has a master's degrees in business administration — to start her own firm and to specialize in business law.

"I am passionate about helping small business owners with their legal needs," she said.

She said she helps business owners with customer disputes, supplier disputes and other issues, but also tries to help them avoid those disputes by strengthening their contracts.

You can learn more about the firm at its website, or its Facebook page.