On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC on Wednesday, September 26, 2018. Many people believe that estate planning is something that can wait until later in life. They continually tell themselves that there is plenty of time to take care of this in the future, such as when they start a family or close in on retirement age.There is no law stating that you have to create an estate plan at a young age (or at all), but it's important to get started with this as soon as poss...
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Heart attacks and Social Security disability claims
On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC posted in social security disability on Friday, September 21, 2018. A California resident who has suffered a heart attack may be eligible to receive Social Security disability benefits. However, the final answer isn't all that straightforward. The Social Security Administration (SSA) considers someone disabled if they are unable to work or obtain gainful employment for at least 12 months; or if they expect not to be able to do so ...
The surviving spouse needs to make important decisions
On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC posted in trusts & trust administration on Wednesday, September 19, 2018. For California couples who have been farsighted enough to establish an estate plan, there comes a well-deserved peace of mind that their assets will be handled well after their deaths. While no one escapes their own mortality, having properly executed legal documents in place necessary to handle the transition when the time comes is reassuring. However, esta...
Clarifying the definition of "disability" for SSD purposes
On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC posted in social security disability on Thursday, September 13, 2018. California residents who are unable to work may be allowed to collect Social Security Disability benefits if they meet strict criteria. For instance, they will need to show that their disabilities will last for at least a year or cause death. Furthermore, they will need to show that they cannot do any type of work because of a mental or physical condition.To det...
Social Security Disability reconsiderations
On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC posted in social security disability on Wednesday, September 12, 2018. The majority of disability applicants in California and the rest of the United States will see their application denied. In fact, records show that 65 percent of people who apply for disability benefits are denied. As a result, these individuals have to decide if they want to go through the process of appealing their denied benefits claim.The approval rate for ...
How representation can affect a disability claim
On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC posted in social security disability on Thursday, September 6, 2018. When people in California file for Social Security Disability, they may be tempted to go it alone; after all, the administrative law proceedings that come even with the last appeal in the process allow applicants to represent themselves. However, when people are represented by a disability attorney at a hearing, they are far more likely to successfully receive be...
The importance of creating an estate plan
On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC posted in estate administration & probate on Tuesday, September 4, 2018. Aretha Franklin died without a will or any sort of estate plan in place despite being worth an estimated $80 million at the time of her death. California residents may be able to learn something from the problems that this may create for her heirs. Her sons have listed themselves as interested parties to the estate and chose Franklin's niece to become the per...
The decision makers who deal with SSDI benefits applications
On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC posted in social security disability on Friday, August 31, 2018. When Californians apply for Social Security disability benefits, they may wonder who is responsible for the outcome. After the necessary documents are filed, a claims representative from the Social Security Administration completes the application by obtaining medical information, dates of treatment and other details from the applicant. The representative will also t...
Starting the application process for SSD benefits
On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC posted in social security disability on Thursday, August 30, 2018. People in California who are applying for Social Security Disability benefits may wonder how to enhance their filing in order to maximize their chances of being approved earlier in the process. While it can be difficult to predict how an application will move forward, there are some steps that people can take to help the process proceed smoothly. First, making a cl...
You may need to draft a spendthrift trust for some of your heirs
On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC on Monday, August 27, 2018. Redlands residents who are doing their estate planning frequently encounter a dilemma. They may have one or more heirs who, over the years, has proven to be incapable of managing their own fiscal affairs responsibly.Sometimes this may be due to drug or alcohol abuse or a weakness for sports betting or the track, but other times it appears to be an inherent inability to make wise financial decisions. The...