Free Seminar “Planning For The Catastrophic Costs Of Long-Term Care” Wednesday, April 3, 2019 4:00 PM Free Seminar Law Office of Donald D. Vanarelli 242 St. Paul Street Westfield, NJ 07090 Health care issues increase as we age, and become more complex. Please join Donald D. Vanarelli, Esq., Certified Elder Law Attorney,.. read more →
Wayne Lippincott’s widow Anne probated a will dated two days before his death in 2015. The couple had been married 28 years, and each had grown children from prior marriages. Wayne’s children and grandchildren challenged the will, claiming undue influence, lack of capacity, forgery, and failure to comply with the formalities of execution. They sought.. read more →
Top Rated New Jersey Lawyers In 2019 Donald D. Vanarelli has been selected by the New Jersey Law Journal as a Top Rated New Jersey Lawyer in 2019. Mr. Vanarelli, and the other attorneys featured in the list of Top Rated NJ Lawyers, have all achieved the peer reviewed rating of “AV Preeminent” by Martindale-Hubbell,.. read more →
In 1990, Irving Helsel established the “The 1990 Irving Helsel Family Trust” (the Trust), which included the “Irving Helsel Family Trust” (Family Trust) and the “Irving Helsel Exempt Trust” (Exempt Trust). He designated his children, Frederic and Bonnie, as beneficiaries of the Family Trust. The Family Trust allowed for distribution of the principal to Bonnie.. read more →
Judgment Invalidating Incompetent Person’s Last Will And Testament While He Was Still Alive Affirmed In Pre-Death Will Contest
Harry and Jean Sable were the parents of three adult sons, Michael, Don and Barry. Harry and two partners owned a building in Philadelphia where Harry conducted Harry Sable, Inc., a jewelry business. Harry and Jean had wills prepared in 1994 and 1998 with similar provisions. Harry left his entire estate to Jean if she.. read more →
This blog post discusses recent changes in how the Social Security Administration (SSA) evaluates disbursements from trusts, particularly special needs trusts. SSA regulations are published by the agency and compiled in the Program Operations Manual System (POMS). The POMS is a primary source of information used by Social Security employees to process claims for Social.. read more →
The decedent, Kathryn Parker Blair, had executed a will bequeathing her estate to her siblings and directing that, if any of her siblings predeceased her, that sibling’s share would pass to his or her surviving children. After her brother died, the decedent executed a new will omitting the brother’s child (“petitioner”) as a beneficiary. The.. read more →
Elder and Disability Law News for January 2019 from the Law Office of Donald D. Vanarelli
_______________________________________________ ABOUT DONALD D. VANARELLI Donald D. Vanarelli has been a practicing attorney since 1983 in New Jersey and New York. Don provides legal services in the areas of elder law, estate planning, trust administration, special education, special needs planning and trial advocacy, including probate litigation, will contests, contested guardianships and elder abuse trials. Don is.. read more →
Is your medical item or service covered by Medicare Part A and/or Part B? Now there’s a quick way to check! Medicare’s free “What’s Covered” app delivers accurate cost and coverage information right on your smartphone. Now you can quickly see whether Medicare covers your service in the doctor’s office, the hospital, or anywhere else.. read more →
The decedent was an elderly man with no immediate family. His Last Will and Testament left his estate to a cousin, several charities and individuals, and to two Valley National Bank employees, including the defendant. One of the bank employees refused the bequest as unethical, based on the bank’s Employee Code of Conduct. The defendant.. read more →
The decedent’s wife predeceased him. Thereafter, in 2009 the decedent executed a new will leaving his estate to his wife’s niece (the defendant). At the defendant’s suggestion, the decedent also executed a revocable living trust. Shortly thereafter, he became concerned about losing control of his assets, and he retained a new lawyer to draft a.. read more →
Karen Horbatt was Theodore A. Kaczmarek’s niece by marriage. After Karen’s aunt died, Theodore executed a will in 2009 leaving Karen his entire estate, valued at over four million dollars. At the same time, Theodore executed a revocable living trust agreement, designating Karen as the sole trustee. Both documents were drafted by a lawyer procured.. read more →
The decedent was estranged from her daughter Cheryl, the defendant, for almost 25 years, but they reconciled shortly before her death, when the decedent was ill. In 1996, the decedent and her husband had executed wills and a trust, excluding Cheryl from their estates. In 2006, the decedent and her husband consulted with a special.. read more →
Robert B. Cohen was a man of “great wealth.” At the time of his death at age 86, he had suffered for years from a progressive form of Parkinson’s disease. His son James filed a complaint to declare that Cohen’s 2009 will, as later modified, was valid. In turn, Cohen’s granddaughter Samantha filed a complaint.. read more →
Following the decedent’s death, Bank of America became successor trustee of four trusts created by the decedent. In 2016, the decedent’s children filed complaints against the bank, seeking accountings for the trusts. The bank submitted accountings and a complaint seeking court approval of the accountings. The decedent’s children then filed another complaint, seeking another accounting.. read more →
For additional information concerning elder abuse actions, visit: Will Contests, Probate Litigation and Elder Abuse Actions read more →
To improve advance health care planning, the American Bar Association’s Commission on Law and Aging developed advance care planning principles for attorneys as set forth in the publication found below, entitled “Advance Directives: Counseling Guide for Lawyers.” The advance care planning principles in the guide provide a conceptual framework and guidelines for lawyers and health.. read more →
B.S. was ninety-two years old and residing in a nursing home when she applied to the Monmouth County Division of Social Services, the County Welfare Board (CWB), for Medicaid benefits. In response to the application, the CWB inquired about two 2010 bank withdrawals from petitioner’s accounts, one for $29,955.79 and the other for $37,085.47. Petitioner.. read more →
For additional information concerning VA compensation and pension benefits, visit: VA Compensation and Pension Benefits For additional information concerning elder abuse actions, visit: Will Contests, Probate Litigation and Elder Abuse Actions read more →
For additional information concerning NJ elder law and special needs planning visit: NJ Elder Law and Estate Planning Services For additional information concerning Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability appeals, visit: Social Security Disability Appeals read more →
The Appellate Division of the Superior Court of New Jersey dismissed this appeal, refusing to remand the case for administrative hearings that were never held because the applicant failed to preserve her right to those hearings. B.M. v. Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services, Docket No. A-3546-16T3 (App. Div., August 29, 2018) Esther Schulgasser.. read more →
Love And Care Provided By Nephew Did Not Justify His Failure To Notify Any Beneficiaries Of The Existence Of Aunt’s Will
In 1998, Joan McFadden executed two powers of attorney (POAs) and a Living Will-Durable Health Care Power appointing John McFadden, her nephew, as her agent and attorney in fact, and Mary Sexton, her niece and John’s sister, as her alternative agent and attorney-in-fact. The two POAs stated that they would become effective upon the following.. read more →
A New Jersey appeals court ruled that a Medicaid applicant who began paying her daughter after the daughter provided two years of free caregiving did not rebut the presumption that a transfer of assets to a relative who previously provided services for free is an uncompensated transfer of assets for Medicaid purposes. E.B. v. Division of.. read more →
For additional information concerning special needs trusts and disability planning, visit: NJ Special Needs Trusts and Disability Planning For additional information concerning VA compensation and pension benefits, visit: VA Compensation and Pension Benefits read more →
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