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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...

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...

On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC posted in social security disability on Friday, November 17, 2017. Workers in California and around the country have approximately a 20 percent chance of being disabled for at least three consecutive months during theircareer. Those who don't have disability insurance may have trouble replacing lost income. However, it may be possible to receive Social Security Disability Insurance benefits while out of work. The program is availa...

On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC posted in trusts & trust administration on Monday, November 13, 2017. California residents have many options with regard to estate planning tools. One of these options, trusts, can be used to ensure that certain assets are protected and distributed to the intended beneficiaries according to the wishes of the trust's creator. There are multiple types of trusts one can choose from to make sure that the assets intended for their heir...

On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC posted in trusts & trust administration on Wednesday, November 8, 2017. California residents have a lot on their mind when going through a divorce. Most people probably are not thinking about estate planning. However, divorcing spouses may need to update their existing wills, trusts, retirement beneficiaries and end-of-life documentation.A trust and trust administration professional shared a few estate planning and divorce horror ...

On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC posted in social security disability on Monday, November 6, 2017. Up to 25 percent of Californians will become disabled sometime during their working years. When people suffer disabling conditions, they may be eligible for Social Security disability benefits. It is important for workers to understand what the agency will look for when it reviews their benefits claims.When workers submit claims for benefits from the Social Security...

On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC posted in trusts & trust administration on Friday, November 3, 2017. California residents may have a need to either cancel or make changes to an irrevocable trust. While it may be more difficult to do so compared to a revocable trust, there is a process that allows that to happen. It is called decanting, and it involves creating a second trust and pouring assets into it from the original trust. Once the asses are inside of the sec...

On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC posted in social security disability on Tuesday, October 31, 2017. Some Californians suffer from disabling conditions that prevent them from working. These people are able to apply for benefits through the Social Security Administration. Unfortunately, the SSA denies a majority of the claims that it initially receives, forcing people to file appeals of their denials. There is a huge backlog of cases that are waiting for their appe...

On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC posted in long term care planning on Monday, October 30, 2017. California music fans were shocked to learn of the sudden-death of rocker Tom Petty. After suffering cardiac arrest, the famous musician was treated but then removed from life support. The decision was made by Petty himself in the form of a do-not-resuscitate order that he had signed as part of his long-term care and estate planning.Unfortunately, many people do not ta...

On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC posted in social security disability on Saturday, October 21, 2017. Many people living in California collect Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. The SSDI program provides cash support for qualifying individuals who are limited in their ability to work due to a disability. Some individuals who collect SSDI, over time, begin to wonder whether returning to work might be a good idea for them. They may be reluctant, h...