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...
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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...
How to apply and qualify for disability benefits
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...
Types of trusts
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...
Think of estate planning during divorce
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 ...
Submitting evidence to support disability claims
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...
Why decanting may be best when altering a trust
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...
Social Security appeals backlog reaches record length
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...