Family First Firm

What Family First Firm does

Family First Firm is a Florida-based elder law firm founded in 2009 by attorney Geoff Hoatson, operating from a Winter Park headquarters (relocated from Orlando in December 2023) and a secondary Orlando office. The firm specializes in Medicaid planning, estate planning, probate, asset protection, veteran benefits, advance directives, special needs planning, wills and trusts, and trust and estate administration. Its core product is a bundled offering called the "Heirloom Journey Process" with two tracks — a proactive "Roadmap" and a crisis-response "Lifeline" — and a proprietary "Family Fortress Trust" that combines asset protection with Medicaid eligibility planning. Digital client-facing tools include an interactive nursing home affordability calculator and an online consultation scheduler; the technology stack is conventional for a law firm and contains no AI/ML components.

The firm serves primarily seniors aged 65+ and their families navigating long-term care decisions, plus three secondary segments: families planning inheritance, veterans and surviving spouses seeking VA Aid & Attendance benefits, and families with special-needs members. Its go-to-market blends inside sales (24/7 phone lines, client relations managers, intake specialists) with community-led growth via the Family First Firm Foundation, which partners with organizations such as Senior Resource Alliance, the Florida Department of Elder Affairs, and multiple hospice and senior-care providers. Marketing channels span a content-heavy blog, a YouTube library of 20+ FAQ videos, two authored consumer books used as lead magnets, earned media (AP News, WESH2), and active social channels on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

The firm operates on a fee-for-service professional services model typical of law firms — pricing is not publicly disclosed and is offered on a quote basis following a free initial discovery discussion. It has grown organically with no external funding rounds, scaling from a solo practice (originally named Hoatson Legal) to 50+ employees without institutional capital. Family First Firm has been recognized on the Inc. 5000 list three consecutive years, most recently ranked #4,594 with 88% three-year revenue growth (2020-2023), and cites a 100% Medicaid approval rate and hundreds of millions of dollars saved for Florida families.

Name

Family First Firm

Legal name

Family First Firm – Medicaid & Elder Law Attorneys

Website

https://familyfirstfirm.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Family First Firm is a Florida-based elder law firm specializing in Medicaid planning, estate planning, probate, asset protection, and veteran benefits for seniors and their families, operating from Winter Park and Orlando with 50+ employees and no outside funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Elder Law

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (54111)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Private Client (Trusts & Estates) Law (BPAHAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Personal & Family Trust Services (FSAAANAA), Philanthropy, Foundations & Grantmaking Advisory (FSAAADAG)

Keywords

• Elder law services
• Estate planning
• Medicaid planning
• Probate administration
• Asset protection

Headquarters

HQ city

Orlando

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Consultation Services: Fee-for-service legal consultations and representation in elder law, estate planning, Medicaid planning, and probate matters
2. Estate Planning Legal Services: Wills, trusts, advance directives, and estate planning legal services billed as professional services
3. Medicaid Planning Services: Medicaid qualification planning and application assistance services for long-term care coverage

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Family First Firm is a Florida-based elder law firm that provides legal services in Medicaid planning, estate planning, probate administration, asset protection, special needs planning, and veteran benefits. The firm serves seniors, veterans, and families across Florida from offices in Winter Park and Orlando.

Product overview

Family First Firm is a Florida-based elder law firm offering a comprehensive suite of legal services centered on Medicaid planning, estate planning, and probate administration. The firm operates as a single-practice firm with named service lines including Medicaid Planning, Estate Planning, Probate, Veteran Benefits, Advance Directives, Asset Protection, Special Needs Planning, Wills & Trusts, Trust Administration, and Estate Administration. The firm also offers proprietary products including the Heirloom: Roadmap (proactive planning) and Heirloom: Lifeline (crisis planning) programs, as well as the Family Fortress Trust for combined asset protection and Medicaid planning. Digital client-facing tools include an Affordability Calculator and Online Scheduler. The practice serves seniors and families throughout Florida from offices in Winter Park and Orlando.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Medicaid Planning Legal service that helps Florida seniors qualify for Medicaid long-term care benefits while protecting assets, with reported 100% approval track record through direct coordination with the Florida Department of Children and Families.
• Estate Planning Legal service for Florida families to draft wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and advance directives as part of the firm's Heirloom Journey process.
• Probate Administration Legal service guiding personal representatives through Florida probate court proceedings after a death, including estate administration and trust administration.
• Veteran Benefits Planning Legal service helping veterans and their surviving spouses access VA Aid and Attendance and other pension benefits for long-term care.
• Asset Protection Legal service that structures assets to shield them from long-term care costs, creditors, and probate exposure.
• Special Needs Planning Legal service for families with disabled dependents that establishes special needs trusts and government benefit preservation strategies.
• Family Fortress Trust Proprietary irrevocable trust product offered by the firm as a long-term care and asset protection vehicle for Florida families.
• Heirloom: Roadmap Named engagement within the firm's Heirloom Journey that delivers a foundational estate plan including will, trust, powers of attorney, and advance directives.
• Heirloom: Lifeline Named engagement within the firm's Heirloom Journey focused on Medicaid long-term care qualification and asset protection for Florida seniors.
• Advance Directives Legal service drafting healthcare surrogate designations, living wills, and other end-of-life planning documents for Florida clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% Medicaid approval rate
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Senior Resource AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 November 2025Family First Firm Foundation partnered with Senior Resource Alliance to host emergency food distribution events for food-insecure seniors during SNAP benefit delays. The partnership supports seniors in Seminole, Lake, and Volusia counties with emergency food assistance and connection to resources.
• Florida Department of Elder AffairscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner receiving foundation support for senior services in Florida
• AdventHealth HospiceminorOthersCommunity partner receiving foundation support for hospice care services
• Orlando HealthminorOthersHealthcare partner receiving foundation support for senior care services
• CenterWellminorOthersHealthcare partner receiving foundation support for senior services
• VITAS HospiceminorOthersHospice care partner receiving foundation support
• Cornerstone HospiceminorOthersHospice care partner receiving foundation support
• Halifax HospiceminorOthersHospice care partner receiving foundation support
• One Senior PlaceminorOthersSenior services organization receiving foundation support
• ADRC (Aging and Disability Resource Center)minorOthersAging services organization receiving foundation support

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Rocket Lawyer: Rocket Lawyer is a subscription-based online legal services platform offering wills, trusts, and other legal documents. As a broad incumbent in the consumer legal services space, it competes with Family First Firm for tech-enabled, lower-complexity estate planning customers.
• LegalZoom: LegalZoom is a national online legal services platform that commoditizes will-making, trusts, and basic estate planning at scale. It competes with Family First Firm at the lower end of the estate planning market and represents the broader legal-services incumbent against which the firm must differentiate.

Direct peers

• Marshall Parker Law Firm: Marshall Parker is a Pennsylvania-based elder law firm focused on Medicaid planning, asset protection, and estate planning for seniors and their families. It is comparable to Family First Firm as a regionally focused elder law practice built around a similar Medicaid-led, multi-service offering for aging clients.
• McMullen Elder Law Firm: McMullen Elder Law is a Florida-based elder law practice offering estate planning, Medicaid planning, and probate services. It is a direct in-state competitor to Family First Firm, sharing the same Florida geography, Medicaid focus, and senior client base.
• Weiss & Paarz Elder Law: Weiss & Paarz is a New Jersey elder law firm specializing in Medicaid planning, estate planning, and special needs planning. It is a direct competitor to Family First Firm in the elder law category with the same client demographic and Medicaid-centric service mix.
• Karp Law Firm: Karp Law Firm is an elder law and estate planning practice serving clients across multiple states with services including Medicaid planning, wills and trusts, and probate. It directly competes with Family First Firm in the elder-law category with a similar professional-services delivery model and overlapping service lines.
• Berkenkotter & Levitt Elder Law: Berkenkotter & Levitt is a Florida elder law firm focused on Medicaid planning, VA benefits, estate planning, and probate — a near-exact service-line overlap with Family First Firm. It competes in the same Florida geography and senior demographic.
• Steinhaus Law Firm: Steinhaus Law Firm is an Ohio-based elder law firm with deep focus on Medicaid planning and asset protection for seniors. It is a comparable direct peer as a single-state, attorney-led elder law practice with a similar Medicaid-driven service model.

Emerging players

• FreeWill: FreeWill is a tech-enabled estate planning platform popular with nonprofits and individuals for online will creation. It serves as an emerging adjacent player that overlaps with Family First Firm's lower-complexity estate planning offerings while operating on a fundamentally different delivery model.
• Trust & Will: Trust & Will is a digital estate planning platform offering online will and trust creation. It targets the same senior and family demographic as Family First Firm but focuses on simpler, lower-cost digital execution rather than full-service legal advice.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCHBiqbBiAZxuzR0nIUYUmNg
• Facebookfacebook.com/FamilyFirstFirm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/familyfirstfirm
• Instagraminstagram.com/familyfirstlawfirm
• Xx.com/FamilyFirstFirm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Family First Firm