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On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC on Friday, September 28, 2018. Estate planning can be quite stressful, which can lead some people to rush through this critical process. Far too many people overlook long-term care planning when they sit down to plan their estates. They focus on what assets they would like to leave to which family members, while neglecting the potential reality of nursing home costs absorbing all of that money.Even families with substantial assets...

On behalf of The Elder and Disability Law Firm, APC posted in estate administration & probate on Thursday, September 27, 2018. California residents who are asked to be the executor of an estate or serve as a trustee of a trust should understand the many financial and administrative duties they will have. Individuals who accept those positions should be prepared to spend a significant amount of time fulfilling their duties, which may take away time from their family and interfere wi...

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...

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 ...

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...

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...

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 ...

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...

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...

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...