On October 15, 2020, Attorney Donald D. Vanarelli, Esq. presented a live Webinar in which attendees learned how to Protect their Assets from the Catastrophic Costs of Probate, Long-Term Care and Nursing Home Expenses. Webinar Topics Included: Care options and typical costs of care in New Jersey in various settings. How to qualify for government.. read more →

In response to the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency, the New Jersey Supreme Court has authorized various adjustments to court operations as set forth in a series of nine Omnibus Orders, issued between March and October 2020. After initially authorizing a swift transition from in-person to remote court operation, the Supreme Court authorized an incremental.. 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 →

The estate tax is a tax on your right to transfer property at your death. The estate tax is computed based on the value of everything you own or have an interest in at the time of your death. In contrast, the federal gift tax is payable if you give someone money or property during.. read more →

 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 →

You may qualify for VA disability benefits if you have physical or mental health conditions that developed as the result of your active duty service. To receive these benefits, you must file a claim to determine your disability rating. In addition, VA pension benefits are also available to wartime veterans how are aged or disabled.. 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 →

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 →

October 18-25 is National Estate Planning Awareness Week. National Estate Planning Awareness Week was adopted in 2008 to help the public understand what estate planning is and why it is such a vital component of financial wellness.  The House of Representatives, in House Resolution 1499, named the third week in October of each year as.. read more →

A new report from National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) in collaboration with the National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA) entitled “Mandated Reporting of Abuse of Older Adults and Adults with Disabilities” is now available. This report focuses on mandated reporting of abuse of older adults and adults with disabilities to Adult Protective Services (APS) or.. 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 →

The Law Council of Australia, an information source I was unfamiliar with until recently, released a new legal guide entitled “Best Practice Guide for Legal Practitioners in relation to Elder Financial Abuse.” The Guide is intended to assist legal practitioners to identify and address potential issues regarding elder financial abuse in the preparation and execution of.. 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 →

During the COVID 19 crisis, Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi has taken several initiatives in light of the challenges presented by the coronavirus. Union County is deeply concerned about the safety of voters and well as their democratic right to vote. As a result, Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi has released a video with step-by-.. read more →

The Strengthening Protections for Social Security Beneficiaries Act of 2018 (Strengthening Protections Act) amended the Social Security Act to allow for the advance designation of representative payees for recipients of Social Security and other governmental benefits. The  Strengthening Protections Act requires the Social Security Administration (SSA) to promulgate regulations specifying the information Social Security beneficiaries.. read more →

To help today’s Medicare beneficiaries, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) combined eight Compare tools, allowing users to easily find information that is most important in making health care decisions. The new platform is currently up and running. Using the new Care Compare Tool, CMS combined 8 original provider Compare websites. In the.. read more →

Press Release Thursday, September 3, 2020                                Mark Hinkle, Acting Press Officer For Immediate Release                                           [email protected] The Social Security Administration announced.. read more →

A federal court dismissed a lawyer’s $1.5 million defamation lawsuit against Avvo, Inc., a website which compiles and maintains an electronic directory of lawyers, for posting a low attorney rating on the internet and false information that negatively impacted the lawyer’s ability to attract new clients. Straw v. Avvo, Inc., 2020 BL 326152, W.D. Wash.,.. read more →

Millions of Americans manage money or property for a loved one who’s unable to pay bills or make financial decisions. To help financial caregivers, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, or the CFPB, worked closely with the American Bar Association Commission on Law and Aging to prepare four (4) consumer guides: Help for agents under a.. read more →

Many VA Medical Centers across the country are re-opening their doors and expanding services. To ensure the protection of both patients and staff, the VA’s Office of Information and Technology launched the COVID-19 digital pre-entry screening tool. The digital pre-entry screening tool allows Veterans, caregivers, and employees to answer questions on their mobile phones and share their.. read more →

Millions of Americans manage money or property for a loved one who’s unable to pay bills or make financial decisions. To help financial caregivers, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, or the CFPB, worked closely with the American Bar Association Commission on Law and Aging to prepare four (4) consumer guides: Help for agents under a.. read more →

In a case of first impression, the New Jersey Supreme Court held that forcing a defendant to reveal the passwords to his password-protected iPhones which were properly seized by police authorities does not run afoul of the state or federal constitutions. State v. Robert Andrews, Docket No A-72-18 (NJ Supreme Ct., August 10, 2020). The.. 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 →

Millions of Americans manage money or property for a loved one who’s unable to pay bills or make financial decisions. To help financial caregivers, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, or the CFPB, worked closely with the American Bar Association Commission on Law and Aging to prepare four (4) guides: Help for agents under a power.. read more →