Brockstedt Mandalas Federico expands elder law support as Delaware rules change

Delaware families are adjusting to major changes in elder law and long-term care planning after new statutes took effect in late 2025. Brockstedt Mandalas Federico LLC is positioning its elder law team to help clients navigate transfer-on-death deeds, health-care directives and asset protection. Why it matters: - Delaware’s new elder law rules change how families handle property transfers, health-care decisions and long-term care planning. - The updates can affect probate avoidance, beneficiary designations, surrogate authority and Medicaid-related planning. - Families may need legal guidance to avoid conflicts between deeds, wills and advance directives. What happened: - Brockstedt Mandalas Federico LLC is offering elder law services as Delaware families respond to multiple legislative changes. - The Uniform Real Property Transfer on Death Act took effect on Dec. 4, 2025. - The Uniform Health-Care Decisions Act took effect on Sept. 30, 2025. - Partner Attorney Michele Muldoon leads the firm’s elder law, asset protection and estate planning work. The details: - The transfer-on-death deed law allows deed holders to transfer property to one or more beneficiaries at death. - Transfer-on-death deeds can keep property out of probate. - Multiple beneficiaries on a deed can create complications. - TOD deeds can also create issues when they conflict with a will. - The health-care law replaces Delaware’s previous act. - The new law changes surrogate authority and health-care directives. - Under the new law, physicians, psychologists, nurses, social workers and physician assistants can determine whether a person lacks health-care decision-making capacity. - Delawareans can now create advance health directives for mental health treatment. - Long-term care lawyers are still working through how the new health-care rules will operate in practice. - Muldoon has more than 20 years of experience in elder law, asset protection and estate planning. - Muldoon built her practice largely through referrals. - Muldoon earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Delaware and a Juris Doctor from Villanova University School of Law. - Muldoon previously practiced estate planning and long-term care planning at another Delaware law firm. - Muldoon has also served as Trust Counsel. - Muldoon holds top ratings from Martindale-Hubbell and AVVO. - BMF says Muldoon can help with special needs trusts, crisis planning, Medicaid coverage and related planning needs. - Brockstedt Mandalas Federico is a full-service law firm based in Delaware and Maryland. - The firm practices personal injury, medical malpractice, environmental law, elder law and estates and trusts. - BMF has offices in Wilmington, Dover, Lewes and Georgetown. - The firm says it has recovered more than $1 billion for clients. - More information is available through the firm’s contact page. - BMF also lists social media profiles on LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube. Between the lines: - The timing suggests a rise in demand for elder law counsel as Delaware’s newer statutes start affecting real-world planning decisions. - The article frames Muldoon’s experience as a key differentiator for clients facing overlapping estate, care and benefits issues. - The new laws may reduce some planning friction, but they also introduce new edge cases that families and attorneys will need to sort out. What’s next: - Delaware families are likely to keep seeking help as they decide whether to use transfer-on-death deeds, revise directives or update estate plans. - Attorneys will continue clarifying how the health-care law works in practice, especially around capacity determinations and mental health directives. - BMF is expected to keep marketing its elder law and long-term care planning services as the legal changes settle in.