Life Care Planner Program Frequently Asked Questions

What type of nursing background best prepares a life care planner?
Although a variety of nursing backgrounds would prepare a registered nurse to be a life care planner, perhaps those that often encounter catastrophically injured or ill patients would find themselves most comfortable in this field. For example, critical care nurses; neurological nurses; nurse anesthetists; critical care pediatric nurses, etc.

What are the career prospects like for a life care planner?
While this is a niche area, it is one in which there is a substantial demand for life care planners because, as yet, there are not many certified life care planners. In particular, there are very few life care planners that are well-trained in the law and in trial practice techniques. Life care planners routinely must function as expert witnesses who requires a good working knowledge of the legal system, the relevant rules of evidence and civil procedure along with a person who knows how to handle him or herself in a deposition or cross examination. Individuals with this type of training — training uniquely provided by the Capital University Law School Life Care Planner program — will have an edge in the marketplace.

How do I become certified as a Life Care Planner?
By taking the examination with the Commission on Health Care Certification (CHCC). Since Capital University Law School 's course has been approved by the CHCC and our CLCP s and primary faculty are certified by the CHCC, students that successfully complete the capstone course are able to take the CHCC certification exam immediately upon completing the LCP Professional Certificate program rather than having to fulfill the usual experiential requirement prior to taking the examination! We offer the CHCC Review Course and Certification Exam on site during the Trial Practice Module twice a year!

How important is certification to a Life Care Planner?
Very! Unlike paralegals and most legal nurse consultants, life care planners routinely function as expert witnesses. Attorneys must establish, at trial, that their experts actually are experts in the area in which they are testifying; the appropriate credentials are a critical component in accomplishing this.

How many clock hours are required to obtain my Life Care Planner certificate from Capital University Law School?
The LCP Professional Certificate consists of 136 hours, with 114 hours online and 22 onsite trial practice hours. The LCP Advanced Practice Professional Certificate consists of 104 hours, which are chosen by you from our 5 online modules and/or our onsite creating a consulting business module.

Is there convenient lodging available for the Onsite Trial Practice Module?
There are several convenient, economic lodging options available near Capital University Law School.

What type of technology do I need to have at home to satisfy the distance learning component of this program?
A computer that is less than four years old and a high-speed connection to the Internet.