2018 News and Events

Click here for the current News and Events page >

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Elder and Disability Law News for December 2018

Download (PDF, 182KB)

For additional information concerning NJ elder law and special needs planning visit:

NJ Elder Law and Estate Planning Services

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Special Needs Planning News for December 2018

Download (PDF, 252KB)

For additional information concerning special needs trusts and disability planning, visit:

NJ Special Needs Trusts and Disability Planning

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Elder and Disability Law News for November 2018

Download (PDF, 168KB)

For additional information concerning elder abuse actions, visit:

Will Contests and Probate Litigation

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Elder and Disability Law News for September 2018

Download (PDF, 192KB)

For additional information concerning elder abuse actions, visit:

Will Contests and Probate Litigation

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Special Needs Planning News for September 2018

Download (PDF, 189KB)

For additional information concerning Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability appeals, visit:

Social Security Disability Appeals

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Elder and Disability Law News for August 2018

Download (PDF, 193KB)

For additional information concerning NJ elder law and special needs planning visit:

NJ Elder Law and Estate Planning Services

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Special Needs Planning News for August 2018

Download (PDF, 176KB)

For additional information concerning special needs trusts and disability planning, visit:

NJ Special Needs Trusts and Disability Planning

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Elder and Disability Law News for July 2018

Download (PDF, 240KB)

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Special Needs Planning News for July 2018

Download (PDF, 207KB)

For additional information concerning special needs trusts and disability planning, visit:

NJ Special Needs Trusts and Disability Planning

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Donald D. Vanarelli, Esq. Will Present At The 2018 Elder Law in a Day Seminar

Westfield, NJ – June 20, 2018 – Donald D. Vanarelli, Esq. (https://vanarellilaw.com/) will participate in the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education’s 2018 Elder Law in a Day Seminar held on July 11, 2018 at the New Jersey Law Center in New Brunswick, NJ.

Mr. Vanarelli will provide the “Case Law Update: The Year In Review” – a review of cases decided in the fields of elder law and special needs planning in New Jersey during the past year.

Elder Law In A Day: Essential Strategies To Handle Most Elder Law Matters With Confidence

Location: New Jersey Law Center
1 Constitution Sq. New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Date: July 11, 2018

Time: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM ET

General Tuition: $235
NJSBA Member Rate: $188
NJSBA Section Member Rate: $176

Moderator/Speaker:
Thomas D. Begley, Jr., Begley Law Group, PC, Moorestown
Speakers include:
Donald D. Vanarelli, Vanarelli & Li, LLC, Westfield

Recipient, Lifetime Achievement Award, NJ State Bar, Elder and Disability Law Section
Certified Elder Law Attorney by the ABA-accredited National Elder Law Foundation Accredited Veterans Attorney
Past Chair, NJSBA Elder and Disability Law Section

Joellen Meckley, Begley Law Group, PC, Moorestown
Linda S. Ershow-Levenberg, Fink Rosner Ershow-Levenberg LLC, Clark
Kevin Gianfortune, Hornor, Townsend & Kent, Inc., Conshohocken, PA
Gary Mazart, Schenck, Price, Smith & King LLP, Florham Park
Jordan Wassel, Schenck, Price, Smith & King LLP, Florham Park
Ethan J. Ordog, Begley Law Group, PC, Moorestown

About The Program:

In 2000, there were 1,443,782 New Jersey residents aged 60 years and over. By 2030, that population is projected to number over 2.5 million.

Learn How To Handle The Elder Law Matters You’re Bound To Encounter

Your clients are aging and living longer than ever. A longer life means longer-term living expenses – and planning for unforeseen complications such as home health care, assisted living, a potential need for a nursing home, and large medical bills. In order to properly represent elder clients, you need to know how to help them get the services that they need while protecting their assets, planning for the future, and producing an estate plan that fulfills their wishes.

Don’t miss this popular annual program, updated for 2018, to gain the information that you need to know to properly represent both your senior clients and your aging clients that will soon become seniors. As an attendee, you’ll hear directly from a panel of highly experienced elder law practitioners as they provide you with solid strategies, practical pointers, the most important recent case law, current regulations, and (most importantly) common-sense approaches based upon decades of practice and the hundreds of elder law clients they have represented. You’ll walk away with, quite literally, everything you need to know to confidently (and successfully) handle the elder law matters you’re likely to encounter.

AGENDA – ELDER LAW IN A DAY 2018

9:00 – 9:15 a.m. Welcome – Thomas D. Begley, Jr.

9:15 – 10:15 a.m. The Year in Review – Donald D. Vanarelli

10:15 – 11:15 a.m. Basic Medicaid Planning – Joellen Meckley

11:15 – 11:30 a.m. Break

11:30 a.m. – Noon Medicaid Planning for the Home – Thomas D. Begley, Jr.

12:00 – 12:30 p.m. Lunch

12:30 – 1:15 p.m. Medicaid Applications – Linda S. Ershow-Levenberg

1:15 – 2:00 p.m. The Impact of Medicaid Planning on College Financial Aid (FAFSA) – Kevin Gianfortune

2:00 – 3:00 p.m. The Impact of Taxation on Elder Law Planning – Gary Mazart

3:00 – 3:15 p.m. Break

3:15 – 4:00 p.m. Guardianship, Powers of Attorney, Protective Arrangements and Estate Administration – Ethan J. Ordog

CLE Credits:
NJ CLE information: This program has been approved by the Board on Continuing Legal Education of the Supreme Court of New Jersey for 6.7 hours of total CLE credit.
NJ CLE: This program has been approved for 6.7 credits (50 minute hour)
PA CLE: 5.5 substantive credits pending ($24 fee – separate check payable to NJICLE must be submitted at the end of the program)
NY CLE (t&nt): 6.5 professional practice credits

Door Registration: $255

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Elder and Disability Law News for June 2018

Download (PDF, 213KB)

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Special Needs Planning News for June 2018

Download (PDF, 203KB)

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New YouTube Video about Vanarelli & Li, LLC

Vanarelli & Li, LLC is committed to protecting the legal rights and financial resources of seniors, the disabled and their families, and families in conflict. We provide legal services in the areas of elder law, estate planning, trust administration, special education, trial advocacy and special needs planning. We assist clients and families in conflict through dispute resolution services, including probate litigation, will contests, contested guardianships, administrative appeals, elder abuse trials and elder mediation. At all times, we strive to meet the highest ethical standards while serving clients in a caring, compassionate and respectful manner.

For more information about Vanarelli & Li, LLC, visit our website at: VanarelliLaw.com

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Video Spotlight: On Certified Elder Law Attorneys

The video posted above informs viewers of the legal issues facing seniors, and the importance of seeking assistance with these issues from a Certified Elder Law Attorney. The video also describes the role of the National Elder Law Foundation (NELF) in the certification process. The video that will be aired nationally on PBS affiliates.

NELF, a non-profit organization founded in 1993, is dedicated to developing the professional competence of lawyers in the areas of Elder Law and Special Needs Planning. NELF is the only national organization certifying practitioners as specialists in Elder and Special Needs Law.

Elder Law is broad legal practice area focused on the problems of older and disabled persons and their families. Elder Law includes health counseling and long-term care planning, identifying and accessing sources of financing for long-term care, nursing home issues, qualifying for Medicare, Medicaid, SSI, Section 8 Housing and other public benefits, legal capacity, surrogate decision-making, estate planning and administration, including tax consequences, trust creation and administration, probate, estate and probate litigation, contested guardianships and elder mediation services.

To be certified in Elder Law, an attorney must have practiced Elder Law for at least five (5) years, had substantive involvement in the practice areas that make up Elder Law, passed a full day written exam, and received references from five (5) Elder Law attorneys. In addition to knowing about Elder Law generally, a Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA) must be capable of recognizing issues of concern that arise during counseling and representation of older persons and special needs clients or their representatives. There are about 500 CELAs in 48 states. Only about 50 attorneys in New Jersey have attained the level of expertise required to be board-certified as Elder Law attorneys.

Certified Elder Law Attorneys have an enhanced level of knowledge, skill and experience in the practice areas encompassed by the Elder and Special Needs Law specialty, coupled with the competence to identify the needs of the older or disabled client, and the capability to solve client problems. Donald D. Vanarelli, Esq. has been board-certified as an Elder Law attorney since 1998.

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Elder and Disability Law News for May 2018

Download (PDF, 393KB)

For additional information concerning NJ elder law and special needs planning visit:

NJ Elder Law and Estate Planning Services

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Special Needs Planning News for May 2018

Download (PDF, 252KB)

For additional information concerning NJ elder law and special needs planning visit:

NJ Elder Law and Estate Planning Services

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Announcing: New Vimeo Online Video Channel By Vanarelli & Li, LLC


When it comes to uploading videos online, YouTube and Vimeo are the two most popular platforms in the market.

YouTube is the leading video sharing website on the web today. YouTube is so popular that many professionals, including many attorneys, have established their own YouTube channel. The Vanarelli Law Office has a YouTube channel too.

However, a lot of people prefer another popular video sharing service over YouTube, called Vimeo. Although the variety of video content is slightly more limited compared to the wide range available on YouTube, the Vimeo site has over 16,000 videos uploaded daily.

Vanarelli & Li, LLC has a new online Vimeo channel, called “New Jersey Seniors.” The Vimeo site is found here: https://vimeo.com/njseniors. Hope you like it, and the videos are useful to you.

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Elder and Disability Law News for April 2018

Download (PDF, 270KB)

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Special Needs Planning News for April 2018

Download (PDF, 205KB)

For additional information concerning special needs trusts and disability planning, visit:

NJ Special Needs Trusts and Disability Planning

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Upcoming Seminar: Asset Protection for Seniors

Join us, at our Law Office at 242 St. Paul Street, Westfield, NJ

Free Seminar on Paying for Long-Term Care

Friday, April 20th, at two (2) convenient times:

8:00 – 9:30 a.m., or 5:00 – 6:30 p.m.

Many factors – illness, incapacity and the need for long-term care – can leave a family’s finances in disarray. Fortunately, careful planning can provide considerable protection from these uncertainties of life.

Medicare is the federal health insurance program most seniors depend upon to pay for medical care. Unfortunately, Medicare does not cover long-term care costs. Medicaid is the only federal program available to pay for long-term care provided at home, in an assisted living facility or a nursing home. Medicaid has medical standards and financial limitations, and is one of the most confusing programs to understand. With an aging population, however, Medicaid is also one of the most important benefits for seniors who need long-term care.

Attorney Donald D. Vanarelli (https://VanarelliLaw.com/) will discuss how to protect your assets in the event you or a spouse are facing long-term care and need Medicaid. Learn techniques to protect your estate so, instead of spending your savings on long-term care costs, you can leave your assets to your children and grandchildren.

Seating is Limited. Advance Registration Required.

Advance registration required. To Register, Contact: Ginny Morrissey, Vanarelli & Li, LLC, Tel: 908-232-7400, Email: [email protected]
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About Attorney Donald D. Vanarelli

Recipient of the Marilyn Askin Lifetime Achievement Award from the New Jersey State Bar Association’s Elder and Disability Law Section, Donald D. Vanarelli is a Certified Elder Law Attorney, and a member of the Council of Advanced Practitioners of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. Mr. Vanarelli is also an Accredited Veterans Attorney and an Accredited Professional Mediator. He has successfully litigated cases in New Jersey’s Supreme Court and in federal court. Mr. Vanarelli represents seniors, the disabled and their families in estate planning, financing long-term medical care, nursing home issues, qualifying for Supplemental Security Income, Medicaid and other public benefits, special needs planning, and litigation, including probate, elder abuse and guardianship lawsuits.

About Vanarelli & Li, LLC

Located in Westfield, New Jersey, the Law Office of Vanarelli & Li, LLC provides a broad range of legal services for seniors, the disabled and their families. The law firm guides clients through complex legal areas including public benefits planning, trial advocacy and court procedures, the administrative process, as well as estate and gift tax laws.

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Elder and Disability Law News for March 2018

Download (PDF, 216KB)

For additional information concerning special needs trusts and disability planning, visit:

NJ Special Needs Trusts and Disability Planning

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Special Needs Planning News for March 2018

Download (PDF, 204KB)

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Upcoming Presentation on Special Needs Planning and Special Needs Trusts for Community Access Unlimited

Donald D. Vanarelli, Esq. (https://VanarelliLaw.com/) will provide an overview of the use of Special Needs Trusts (SNTs) by disabled persons so as to prevent financial assets and income from impacting eligibility for needs-based public benefits such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Medicaid, services from the Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD), Section 8 Housing and the like.

The presentation is sponsored by Community Access Unlimited (CAU). CAU provides comprehensive support services for people with disabilities and their families, giving them the opportunity to live independently and to lead normal and productive lives as citizens integrated into the general community. Services also include the provision of affordable housing to low and moderate-income people.

The presentation will be held at CAU’s next Family Connections Meeting:

  • Date: March 24, 2018
  • Time: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM (Presentation on SNTs to begin at 12 Noon)
  • Location: Suburban Golf Club, 1730 Morris Avenue, Union, NJ
About Donald D. Vanarelli

Recipient of the Marilyn Askin Lifetime Achievement Award from the New Jersey State Bar Association’s Elder and Disability Law Section, Donald D. Vanarelli is a Certified Elder Law Attorney, and a member of the Council of Advanced Practitioners of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. Mr. Vanarelli is also an Accredited Veterans Attorney and an Accredited Professional Mediator. He has successfully litigated cases in New Jersey’s Supreme Court and in federal court. Mr. Vanarelli represents seniors, the disabled and their families in estate planning, financing long-term medical care, nursing home issues, qualifying for Supplemental Security Income, Medicaid and other public benefits, special needs planning, and litigation, including probate, elder abuse and guardianship lawsuits.

About Vanarelli & Li, LLC

Located in Westfield, New Jersey, the Law Office of Vanarelli & Li, LLC provides a broad range of legal services for seniors, the disabled and their families. The law firm guides clients through complex legal areas including public benefits planning, trial advocacy and court procedures, the administrative process, as well as estate and gift tax laws.

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Elder and Disability Law News for February 2018

Download (PDF, 216KB)

For additional information concerning guardianships and fiduciary services, visit:

NJ Guardianship and Fiduciary Services

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Special Needs Planning News for February 2018

Download (PDF, 1.29MB)

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Donald D. Vanarelli To Facilitate A Discussion At The Upcoming NAELA-NJ “Unprogram”

Donald D. Vanarelli, Esq. (https://vanarellilaw.com/) will facilitate a discussion at the upcoming “Unprogram” presented by the New Jersey Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys on April 25, 2018 at the Wyndham Hotel in the Philadelphia Historic District, 400 Arch St., Philadelphia, PA.

The UnProgram is a forum in which elder law practitioners and special needs law attorneys meet in small groups to brainstorm, network, exchange ideas/forms, and discuss substantive legal issues, winning office management techniques and successful practice development ideas. The “UnProgram” is unique because there is no “program,” no established agenda, no lecturers or teachers and no prepared presentations. Rather, the participants determine the UnProgram schedule, suggest session topics and facilitate discussions. The Unprogram has an innovative structure, designed to promote discussion and learning through idea sharing and collaboration. It’s like no other educational event you’ve participated in and, as a result, is one of the favorite events offered by elder and special needs law attorneys in New Jersey.

A flyer for the upcoming NAELA-NJ Unprogram follows:

Download (PDF, 495KB)

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Donald D. Vanarelli, Esq. Will Present At The 20th Annual Elder And Disability Law 2-Day Retreat

Donald D. Vanarelli, Esq. (https://vanarellilaw.com/) will present at the 20th Annual Elder and Disability Law 2-Day Retreat to be held on April 26-27, 2018 at the Wyndham Hotel in the Philadelphia Historic District, 400 Arch St., Philadelphia, PA by the New Jersey State Bar Association Elder & Disability Law Section and the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education.

Mr. Vanarelli will provide an overview of elder mediation, a specialized form of mediation designed to help elders, the disabled and their families resolve conflict. For additional information regarding this event, attorneys may contact the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education (NJICLE) at 732-214-8500 or visit their website at http://www.njicle.com/.

For additional information regarding estate and elder mediation, as well as guardianships, elder law and estate planning issues, contact Vanarelli & Li, LLC at 908-232-7400, or visit online at https://vanarellilaw.com/.

The agenda for the 20th Annual Elder and Disability Law 2-Day Retreat follows:

Download (PDF, 2.09MB)

20th Annual Elder and Disability Law 2-Day Retreat

Format/Skill Level: Meeting

Location: Wyndham Hotel, 400 Arch St Philadelphia, PA 19106

Date: April 26-27, 2018

General Tuition: $390
NJSBA Member Rate:
$312
NJSBA Section Member Rate:
$292

Program Cosponsor: NJSBA & Disability Law Section in cooperation with the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education

Coordinator:

Beth L. Barnhard, Esq., CELA
Vice-Chair, NJSBA Elder & Disability Law Section
WanderPolo & Siegel, Bloomfield

Speakers include:

Jon-Henry Barr, Esq.
JH Barr &Associates, Clark

Andrew P. Bolson, Esq.
Rubenstein, Meyerson, Fox, Mancinelli, Conte & Bern PA, Montvale

Emily R. Carstensen, Esq.
Snyder Sarno D’Aniello, Maceri & da Costa LLC, Hackensack

Andrew J. Cevasco, Esq.
Archer Law, Hackensack

Rahat A. Chatha, Esq.
Law Office of Sharon Rivenson Mark, Jersey City

Linda Ershow-Levenberg, Esq., CELA
Fink Rosner Ershow-Levenberg, LLC, Clark

Jane M. Fearn-Zimmer, Esq.
Chair, NJSBA Elder & Disability Law Section
Rothkoff Law Group, Cherry Hill

Steven L. Friedman, Esq., CELA
Stark & Stark, Lawrenceville

Sandip R. Pandya, Esq.
Law Office of Sharon Rivenson Mark, Jersey City

Cathyanne A. Pisciotta, Esq.
Pisciotta & Menasha, LLC, North Brunswick

Eugene Rosner, Esq., CELA
Fink Rosner Ershow-Levenberg, LLC, Clark

Ryann M. Siclari, Esq.
The Augulis Firm, Warren

Donald D. Vanarelli, Esq., CELA
Law Office of Vanarelli & Li, LLC, Westfield

About The Program:

Don’t miss the Elder Law event of the year!

You’ll enjoy networking opportunities with your Elder Law colleagues and sponsors who provide services that make practice easier and more efficient for attorneys. You’ll also have access to the many excellent restaurants and excursions that the City of Philadelphia has to offer.

Join your colleagues and renowned speakers at this year’s New Jersey Elder Law Retreat in historic Philadelphia! This two-day program will address the hottest topics of 2018, including:

  • Advanced Fair Hearing Techniques
  • Tax Law Developments
  • Estate and Elder Mediation
  • The Intersection of Elder Law and Domestic Violence
  • The Intersection of Elder Law and Consumer Fraud Law
  • How Cultural Differences Impact the Practice of Elder Law
  • Ethics
  • Presentation of the Mary Wanderpolo and the Marilyn Askin Lifetime Achievement
  • Awards, and much, much more!

CLE Credits (4/26/18): This program has been approved by the Board on Continuing Legal Education of the Supreme Court of New Jersey for 7.9 hours of total CLE credit. Of these, 1.0 hours qualify as credit for ethics/professionalism.

CLE Credits (4/27/18): This program has been approved by the Board on Continuing Legal Education of the Supreme Court of New Jersey for 3.5 hours of total CLE credit. Of these, 1.0 qualify as hours of credit for ethics/professionalism.

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Elder and Disability Law News for January 2018

Download (PDF, 214KB)

For additional information concerning NJ elder law and special needs planning visit:

NJ Elder Law and Estate Planning Services

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Special Needs Planning News for January 2018

Download (PDF, 192KB)

For additional information concerning special needs trusts and disability planning, visit:

NJ Special Needs Trusts and Disability Planning

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Click here for the current News and Events page >