In New Jersey, services for the intellectually and developmentally disabled are provided by the Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD), a division of the state Department of Human Services. DDD funds services and supports for eligible disabled individuals. These services are offered in the community by more than 200 agencies or by more than 600 individuals.. read more →
Every year we release the key dollar amounts that are frequently used in elder law, estate administration and special needs trust planning, including Medicaid figures, Medicare premiums, Social Security Disability and Supplemental Security Income. Be sure to check back often, as we will add any information that has not yet been released and update the.. read more →
Although a Medicaid lien on the proceeds of a settlement in a personal injury action was satisfied before the net settlement funds were transferred to a Special Needs Trust (SNT), the State is not precluded from seeking upon the death of the SNT beneficiary repayment of Medicaid expenditures made on the beneficiary’s behalf after the creation.. read more →
Tax Benefit Checklist for Families Caring for Special Needs Children Unique tax benefits are available to families with individuals who have special needs. A checklist compiled by Thomas M. Brinker, Jr., a professor of accounting at Arcadia University in Pennsylvania, of some potential tax benefits that could be available to families who care for a special.. read more →
Donald D. Vanarelli, Esq. Will Present At The 22nd Annual Elder And Disability Law Symposium
22nd Annual Elder And Disability Law Symposium The COVID Cloud: Pandemic Practice Tips for the Elder Law and Special Needs Practitioner Donald D. Vanarelli, Esq. (http://VanarelliLaw.com/) will present at the 22nd Annual Elder and Disability Law Symposium to be held via ZOOM Webinar on December 1, 2020 by the New Jersey State Bar Association Elder.. read more →
Find out how you can save money with disability-related expenses by having an ABLE account. For more information, go to https://www.irs.gov/taxreform. #disability #ABLE #IRS Resources on the IRS website concerning ABLE accounts: Tax law changes enable eligible people with Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) accounts to put more money into their ABLE account and.. read more →
IRS Issues Final Regulations For Achieving A Better Life Experience (ABLE) Accounts
The Internal Revenue Service issued final regulations this month providing details about how Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) accounts should operate. ABLE accounts are designed to help people with disabilities and their families save up to $100,000 without risking eligibility for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and other government benefits based on financial need. Medicaid can.. read more →
The ABA Commission on Law and Aging, along with the Penn Memory Center, announced the release of a new voting guide, Assisting Cognitively Impaired Individuals with Voting: A QUICK GUIDE. Here’s the introduction to the new voting guide: Difficulties in communication can occur when interacting with a person who has cognitive impairment. The techniques and tips.. read more →
Upcoming FREE Webinar Learn How to Protect Your Assets from the Catastrophic Costs of Probate, Long-Term Care and Nursing Home Expenses Date: October 15, 2020 at 4:00 PM Eastern Time (expected to last approximately 2 hours, depending on Q & A) Attorney Donald D. Vanarelli, Esq. will present at the Live Webinar. Don is a.. read more →
Planning the long-term future of a child with special needs can be the source of enormous stress for parents. Among the challenges of raising a child with special needs is figuring out how to provide for that child once you’re gone. If the child will never be able to earn a living, how can you determine.. read more →
In New Jersey, all guardians are appointed by the Superior Court of New Jersey. A “guardian” is a person appointed by a court to make decisions regarding the person or property of an incapacitated adult. A person is “incapacitated” under the law if he or she “is impaired by reason of mental illness or mental.. read more →
The Quick Guide for Families summarizes the information in the Policies and Procedures Manuals prepared by the New Jersey Department of Human Services’ Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) for the DDD’s Medicaid waiver programs, the Supports Program and Community Care Program. The Quick Guide summarizes the eligibility rules and regulations governing the Supports Program and.. read more →
Question: How to ensure that clients have an opportunity to sign their Last Wills and Testaments, Powers of Attorneys, Special Needs Trusts, Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) forms, Advance Medical Directives and the myriad of other estate documents we typically prepare for clients during a coronavirus pandemic when social distancing is mandatory? Answer: Conduct.. read more →
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“CV Response Act”) was signed into law on March 18, 2020. The CV Response Act bars all Medicaid terminations during the course of the public health emergency caused by COVID-19. All individuals enrolled in Medicaid as of March 2020 must have continued benefits, until the last day of the.. read more →
This promotional video is presented as an introduction to the “Estate and Disability Planning” Video Series Program. “Estate and Disability Planning” is a 4-part video series presented by noted Certified Elder Law Attorney and Accredited Veterans Attorney Donald D. Vanarelli, Esq. The video series covers a number of crucial elder law topics for New Jersey.. read more →
This week we lost one of my favorite clients. Thomas Saccone was a retired Newark firefighter. He and his wife are the parents of a severely disabled son who receives Supplemental Security Income (“SSI”) and Medicaid, which are critical in providing for his care. As a firefighter, Tom was a member of the Police and.. read more →
The New Jersey Department of Human Services (“DHS”) has announced that its Federal Section 1135 Waiver Request has been approved by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”). On March 20, 2020, the New Jersey DHS had outlined federal Medicaid requirements that “pose issues or challenges for.. read more →
The Stephen Beck, Jr., Achieving a Better Life Experience Act (ABLE Act) is a tax-advantaged savings account used by an individual eligible for Medicaid or other public benefits to pay for “qualified disability-related expenses” and established by an individual whose blindness or disability resulted from a condition that began before the individual’s 26th birthday. The.. read more →
Listed below are the top ten (10) posts on the Vanarelli Law Office blog with the highest readership last year, in 2019. After each hyperlinked blog post title, the original post date is included. Check out the list to see this year’s highlights. Our sincere thanks for taking the time to read our blog! .. read more →
Below, in chronological order, is the annual roundup of the top 10 elder law decisions across the nation for the past year, as measured by the number of “unique page views” of the summary of the decision received on the ElderLawAnswers website. ElderLawAnswers is a web-based resource available for those in the public seeking information.. read more →
2020 NJ-NAELA UNPROGRAM Wednesday, April 22, 2020 from 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM Lambertville Inn Lambertville, New Jersey Donald D. Vanarelli, Esq. (http://VanarelliLaw.com/) will present at the 2020 UNPROGRAM presented by the New Jersey Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. The NJ-NAELA UNPROGRAM will be held on April 22, 2020 at the.. read more →
In December 2019, the U.S. Congress enacted into law the “Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019,” also known as the SECURE Act, as part of a year-end spending bill. The SECURE Act makes major changes to retirement plan rules, including inherited plans. The effective date for the new law is January.. read more →
The 2020 “Elder Law in a Day” Seminar: Learn How To Handle Elder Law Issues And Cases Donald D. Vanarelli, Esq. (http://VanarelliLaw.com/) will present at the 2020 “Elder Law in a Day” seminar given by the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education on January 29, 2020 at the New Jersey Law Center, 1 Constitution.. read more →
Every year we release the key dollar amounts that are frequently used in elder law, estate administration and special needs trust planning, including Medicaid figures, Medicare premiums, Social Security Disability and Supplemental Security Income. Be sure to check back often, as we will add any information that has not yet been released and update the.. read more →
On November 5, 2019, I presented at the Fall Meeting of the Essex/Hudson/Union Chapter of the New Jersey Association of Public Accountants held at Kean University in Hillside, New Jersey. I presented an overview of the various types of revocable and irrevocable trusts used by estate planners and by elder law and special needs planning.. read more →
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