On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC on Monday, December 24, 2018. It doesn't matter if you're choosing a nursing home for yourself, your spouse or an aging loved one, there are many steps you can take to move through the process in an efficient and stress-free manner.Here are five things you absolutely need to do: Consider what's important to you: This is the first thing to think about, as it will put you on the path to the best decision. Some details to consider in...
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Does a fast SSD benefits denial mean a weak claim?
On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC posted in social security disability on Friday, December 21, 2018. When people apply for Social Security disability benefits in California, they may be worried if they receive a quick denial. The process of applying for SSD benefits is known to be lengthy, so applicants may believe that a quick response indicates that they have a particularly weak case. However, the speed at which people receive a response is often entirely unrela...
What to know about charitable trusts
On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC posted in trusts & trust administration on Wednesday, December 19, 2018. California residents who are looking to reduce their tax bill while helping an important cause could do both with a charitable trust. Legally, a charitable trust must focus on helping to solve a problem like reliving poverty or anything else beneficial to the community as a whole. As a general rule, the trustee has a fiduciary duty, which means that the perso...
The roles of the executor and trustee
On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC posted in estate administration & probate on Friday, December 14, 2018. In California, it is possible for an individual to have an executor or a trustee or both as part of an estate planning team. An executor is someone who represents the estate in the event that it has to go through probate. The trustee is the person who is in charge of a trust, and this person may fulfill that role both before and after its creator passes.Howeve...
Moving forward after an SSD benefits denial
On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC posted in social security disability on Wednesday, December 12, 2018. Applying for Social Security Disability can be an arduous process for many people in California, especially since a large portion of applicants receive denials at the initial level. After receiving a denial, people can either file a new disability application or seek a disability appeal. A new claim generally involves significantly more work or time than filing ...
The duties of a trust executor
On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC posted in trusts & trust administration on Thursday, December 6, 2018. Trusts are estate planning documents that allow for the distribution of assets after the death of the trust maker. In most cases, trusts have provisions calling for assets to be distributed to specific people, but the trust cannot do the distributing itself. Rather, that is the realm of the trust's executor. People who make trusts in California will appoint an ...
A deteriorating mental condition can be disabling
On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC posted in social security disability on Wednesday, December 5, 2018. The Social Security Disability list of impairments sets forth medical conditions that, if met by a disability claimant, generally qualify that person for disability benefits. Categorized by bodily system or function, the list includes mental disorders among the disabling conditions. One problem is that most California claimants suffer from conditions that do not ...
High court to hear SSDI arguments
On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC posted in social security disability on Saturday, December 1, 2018. The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in a case that addresses an important part of the Social Security Disability Insurance hearing process. The issue in the case, which is relevant in Social Security actions in California and across the U.S., is whether a vocational expert's opinion can be relied upon if the expert does not provide the data that led to his ...
Serving as executor can be a big job
On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC posted in estate administration & probate on Friday, November 30, 2018. When someone is named as executor of a California estate, the tasks they are faced with may be confusing and substantial. The executor, who is named in the will, must file and pay remaining taxes from the estate, handle creditors, value assets and distribute property to the named beneficiaries. Being named executor is often an honor and an expression of trust ...
A medical source statement can assist a disability application
On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC posted in social security disability on Wednesday, November 28, 2018. People in California applying for Social Security disability benefits may want to do everything they can to bolster their applications. A medical source statement is a document created by a physician that helps to show an applicant's medical condition. It includes a number of factors, including the person's diagnosis and his or her capabilities and functional de...