On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC posted in trusts & trust administration on Wednesday, June 6, 2018. People in California who have estate plans centered on a trust may consider using a pour-over will in conjunction with their estate plan. This unique type of will can be useful if the grantor fails to transfer their assets in the trust over the course of their lifetime and there is no other will that specifies to whom those assets should be distributed.A pour-over...
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Aging parents need financial health checkups
On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC on Sunday, June 3, 2018. Confronting one's own mortality is never easy, especially when it involves witnessing the physical and/or mental decline of one or both parents.You may know or suspect that your mom or dad is no longer as cognitively sharp as he or she once was. But it is quite another matter to be confronted with undeniable proof that your parents can no longer live independently. Con artists prey on the elderlyIt's no co...
Take wise steps with an unexpected inheritance
On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC posted in estate administration & probate on Saturday, June 2, 2018. When a loved one dies in California, the beneficiary of a will needs to take a few important steps. The first step is to contact the executor or appointed administrator of the decedent's estate. It is important to ask the executor for a copy of the person's will and read the fine details. The second step is to find out if the estate will go through the probate pr...
How to react after a disability application is denied
On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC posted in social security disability on Friday, June 1, 2018. If a California resident has had their application for disability benefits denied, it is possible to appeal the ruling. Those who have had their reconsideration appeal denied can ask for a hearing. To improve the odds of obtaining a favorable outcome in a benefits case, an applicant should provide as much information as possible about the injury. There should be enough ...
Navy veterans could soon get Agent Orange health benefits
On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC posted in veterans' benefits on Tuesday, May 22, 2018. Congress is working on a bill that would extend health benefits to Navy veterans living in California and elsewhere who were exposed to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. The bill, called the Blue Water Navy bill, is currently before the House Veterans' Affairs Committee. The U.S. military sprayed Agent Orange, a powerful herbicide, throughout Vietnam in an effort to destroy...
New life for bill that may extend Agent Orange benefits
On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC posted in veterans' benefits on Monday, May 21, 2018. California readers may be interested in learning that Congress is working on a bill that would extend health benefits to approximately 90,000 sailors who may have been exposed to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. The legislation ran into resistance in November, but an effort to get it passed was resumed by the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs' chairman in early May.Agent...
Disability hearings provide opportunities for SSD applicants
On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC posted in social security disability on Friday, May 18, 2018. Many people in California may wonder whether they have a better opportunity to be successful in their application for Social Security Disability benefits when they have a hearing before a judge. During the first two levels of the disability application process, disability examiners make the decision as to whether a person should be granted benefits. There are often few ...
Determining appropriate care for elderly people
On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC posted in long term care planning on Thursday, May 17, 2018. Those who are looking for a care facility for their aging parents in California often have questions as to how to choose the right one. The first thing that a person should do is determine how much care a family member needs. For instance, a person who is highly confused or can't groom themselves may need different levels of care than someone who can still live a relativ...
Seven tips that can get executors on track
On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC posted in estate administration & probate on Thursday, May 10, 2018. California residents who have been designated as executors of an estate will want to consider the following tips toward making the process easier. As long as the executor is methodical and organized, the tips will not be hard to follow.First, executors will want to request multiple copies of the death certificate to send to banks, life insurers and, if applicable...
How to quicken the pace of a benefits case
On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC posted in social security disability on Wednesday, May 9, 2018. Those in California who have applied for disability benefits may be able to ask that their case be handled in an expedited manner. A dire need request could be granted if a person feels that he or she is in danger of losing a home or not being able to afford medication. In some cases, an application will be reviewed faster because an applicant has a terminal illness o...