Founder, The Elder Mediation Center of New Jersey

Donald D. Vanarelli, Esq. is a founding member of The Elder Mediation Center of New Jersey, a collaborative alliance comprised of independent mediators, attorneys, geriatric care managers and other eldercare professionals, which opened its practice center as of January 1, 2008.

The Elder Mediation Center of New Jersey provides efficient, knowledgeable, affordable alternative dispute resolution services designed to resolve the conflicts of elders, individuals living with a disability, their families and others.

The members of the Elder Mediation Center of New Jersey approach dispute resolution based upon ethical principles: the recognition that the elder or individual living with a disability, who is often at the center of the conflict, is the most important participant. The core belief of its members is that the voice of the elderly or disabled individual must be heard and respected if the conflict is to be resolved. Members assist family members to achieve creative solutions that are best suited for them, and are committed to respect and encourage fairness for all parties involved.

Mediators at the Elder Mediation Center of New Jersey are familiar with and capable of facilitating a variety of family conflicts common to elder mediation, including:

• Disputes Among Adult Siblings About Parents
• Housing and Living Arrangements
• Caregiving Issues, including Caregiver Role-Reversal Disputes
• Healthcare Planning and Decision-Making
• Financial Management Disputes
• Estate Planning and Probate Matters
• Medical Treatment Decisions
• Guardianship / Conservatorship Issues, including Post-Appointment Disputes
• Consumer Issues
• Social Life and Activities
• Spirituality and Aging
• Ongoing Relationships
• Family Wealth Issues, including Inheritance Disputes

Professionals with the Elder Mediation Center bring expertise and commitment to the medication task; years of training in mediation and dispute resolution; and extensive backgrounds in the following fields:

• Estate Planning and Administration
• Geriatric Care Management
• Geriatric and Disability Assessments
• Trust Formation and Distribution Planning
• Nursing Home Law and Litigation
• Guardianships and Fiduciary Services
• Rerepresenting the Elderly and Disabled
• Eligibility Planning for Medicaid and other Public Benefits Programs
• Disability Planning
• Medical Decision-Making
• End-of-Life Decisions
• Financial Arrangements
• Estate and Probate Litigation, including Will Contests
• Elder Abuse Issues
• Special Needs Trusts and Special Needs Planning
• Asset Protection Planning

Credentials: Union County, New Jersey Probate Early Settlement Panelist Selected by the Superior Court >