On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC posted in social security disability on Friday, December 15, 2017. Exactly when a California resident who has been approved for disability benefits receives those benefits depends on a few factors. Generally, those who have gotten approval after an initial application will get their benefits sooner than those who get it at the hearing level. As a general rule, the Social Security Administration strives to complete cases in a timel...
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Handling digital accounts for deceased loved ones
On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC posted in estate administration & probate on Wednesday, December 13, 2017. One aspect of estate planning California residents may not pay attention to is that of their digital footprint. Thanks to the policies of tech companies and confusing laws, it can be difficult for surviving loved ones to deal with the online records left behind by a loved one. Many people have opted to go paperless. This means the electronic delivery of bil...
Pain symptoms and disability claims
On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC posted in social security disability on Monday, December 11, 2017. California residents who cannot work due to pain or chronic ailments can file a Social Security disability claim. If a claim is initially denied, the claimant can request a hearing before an administrative law judge. It is important for applicants to include in the initial application how pain affects their ability to work. The Social Security Administration cannot...
How the Cy Pres doctrine may help to save charitable trusts
On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC posted in trusts & trust administration on Friday, December 8, 2017. In California, some people would like to leave money to charities in their estate plans. They are able to do so by establishing charitable trusts. These are trusts that have charitable purposes in order to benefit the public good in some way. Examples of charitable purposes might include education, religion, poverty relief, to benefit cities and others. While cha...
Veterans' benefits may pay for long-term care
On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC posted in veterans' benefits on Tuesday, December 5, 2017. California veterans and their spouses might be eligible for a benefit to help to pay for their long-term care. Only 5 percent of the money that is set aside for this benefit is accessed because many eligible people simply do not know that the program exists.Called the Veterans Aid & Attendance Pension benefit, the program provides monthly benefits to eligible people that t...
Helping elderly parents with estate-planning needs is a true gift
On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC posted in blog on Monday, December 4, 2017. If you are the adult child of elderly parents, one of the greatest gifts that you can give to them this holiday season is to make sure that they have all the necessary estate planning documents in place. While these conversations can be difficult to initiate, you do no one a favor by leaving it unaddressed.Plan your discussion beforehand If you want to have the most success, it's importa...
Social Security disability application mistakes
On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC posted in social security disability on Friday, December 1, 2017. California residents that become disabled may have options available under both state and federal law for pursuing a disability claim, such as filing for social security disability benefits. There are some common mistakes many claimants make when filing a social security disability claim.One error that many people make is not pursuing their social security disabilit...
How California residents can protect their assets after death
On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC posted in trusts & trust administration on Wednesday, November 29, 2017. According to WealthCounsel's estate planning awareness survey, 40 percent of Americans have set up a will but only 17 percent have a trust in place. The low numbers have some experts worried that many are not adequately protecting their assets for the benefit of their heirs. Whether they have a home, savings account or 401(k) plan, their assets will one day b...
Social Security disability approval time
On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC posted in social security disability on Wednesday, November 29, 2017. Many California residents will apply for Social Security disability or SSI every year and may wonder how long the process takes. The answer depends on multiple factors, including how long it takes the applicant to go through each stage of the process.The first step in applying for disability is completing an application at a local Social Security office or onlin...
Understanding Social Security disability
On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC posted in social security disability on Monday, November 20, 2017. There are several misconceptions about Social Security disability insurance in California. While news stories may claim that there is rampant fraud in the SSDI system, it is very difficult for people to get approved for benefits when they have become disabled.In 2016, 61 million Americans received Social Security benefits, and 68 percent were retired. Of the remain...