The New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education and the NJ State Bar Association Elder and Disability Law Section are presenting the 19th Annual Sophisticated Elder Law Forum on Tuesday, November 19, 2013 at the New Jersey Law Center from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This annual event features a panel of experienced elder lawyers.. read more →

Attorney Donald D. Vanarelli, the founder of our law firm, will be presenting at the following workshops and seminars in upcoming months: 1. Mr. Vanarelli will be presenting a workshop entitled “Legal and Financial Considerations” at the Alzheimer’s Caregiver Conference to be held on Saturday, November 2, 2013, at Union County College, Cranford, NJ.  Workshop.. read more →

Chen Li has been associated with the Law Office of Donald Vanarelli since 2007.  Chen was born in Shanghai, China.  After completing high school in China, she immigrated to New York in the late 80’s.  Chen earned a B.A. from Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, New York.  She obtained her J.D. from.. read more →

Several months ago, I presented a program on Veterans Benefits and Social Security Disability Benefits at the Elder Law College, a seminar on Elder Law and Special Needs Law presented each year by the New Jersey Institute of Continuing Legal Education. I wrote a blog post summarizing the seminar material  presented at the Elder Law.. read more →

On Saturday, April 27, 2013, I presented a session on the impact of elder law issues on divorce mediation at the 2013 Annual Divorce Mediation Seminar by the New Jersey Association of Professional Mediators. The topics covered in my session included Social Security, including retirement, disability and survivors benefits, Supplemental Security Income benefits, Medicare, Medicaid,.. read more →

Vanarelli & Li, LLC is proud to announce that two professionals in the firm have been named to the 2013 Super Lawyer List in New Jersey. Partner Donald D. Vanarelli has been named to the 2013 Super Lawyer List in three practice areas: Elder Law, Estate Planning and Probate, and Estate and Trust Litigation. Associate.. read more →

On June 27, 2013, attorney Donald D. Vanarelli will be moderating a panel of speakers at a seminar sponsored by New Jersey’s Institute of Continuing Legal Education (ICLE) entitled “Special Needs Trusts: Key Strategies for Successful Planning and Administration.” A distinguished panel of estate and elder law practitioners will speak at the ICLE seminar: Dana.. read more →

On March 25, 2013, attorney Donald D. Vanarelli will be addressing the Office of the Ombudsman for the Institutionalized Elderly on the topic of Elder Mediation / Negotiation Skills at the Ombudsman’s Quarterly Regional Meeting held in Freehold, New Jersey. In attendance will be NJ’s State Ombudsman, Jim McCracken, his investigative staff and Volunteer Advocates. .. read more →

(I recently presented a program on Veterans Benefits and Social Security Disability Benefits at the Elder Law College, a seminar on Elder Law and Special Needs Law presented each year by the New Jersey Institute of Continuing Legal Education. A summary of the seminar material is presented below.) VA BENEFITS Veterans and their families should.. read more →

Members of the Council of Advanced Practitioners offer professional expertise to meet the needs of an older, maturing clientele and people with disabilities or special needs and their families. A member of the Council of Advanced Practi­tioners (CAP) of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) is an attorney who has been nominated and.. read more →

Our Estate/Probate and Elder Mediation Training program, held yesterday at the New Jersey Law Center, was very successful. Excellent turn-out and program quality. The attendees were very diverse, including attorneys, care managers, social workers, financial professionals, medical providers and others. Wonderful audience feedback. Many thanks to all presenters, including geriatric care managers Judith Parnes, Connie.. read more →

  Several weeks ago, on Sunday, November 20th, I was a guest on The Caring Generation, a radio show airing on 630 KHOW-AM, a Talk Radio Station broadcasting from Denver, Colorado, and on the internet. The show is hosted by Pamela D. Wilson, who identified herself as the “Care Navigator.” The Caring Generation is about.. read more →

Keeping the Peace Through Elder Mediation Training Schedule Registration and Breakfast 1. Introduction (Donald Vanarelli) Elder Mediation in New Jersey NJAPM Special Interest Section Goals of Training Session Housekeeping items 2. “Setting the Stage” (Theater Group/Gabrielle Strich/Benni Versaci) 3. What is Elder Mediation? (Donald Vanarelli) Goals of Elder Mediation Overview of Presenting Issues in Elder.. read more →

(The Fall 2011 issue of Mediation News, the newsletter of the New Jersey Association of Professional Mediators (NJAPM), contains a short article on NJAPM’s newly-formed Estate and Elder Mediation Special Interest Group. The article is reproduced below. If you have an interest in this emerging practice area, please contact me or simply come to a.. read more →

As readers of this blog may know, representing veterans in connection with Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) claims is an emerging practice area that is becoming an increasingly important component of an elder law practice. Lawyers at my firm have been retained with increasing frequency in recent years to represent veterans in claims for both.. read more →

The most enduring innovations marry art and science. To create the future, you can’t do it through focus groups. Never fear failure. You can’t connect the dots forward – only backward. Listen to that voice in the back of your head that tells you if you’re on the right track or not. Expect a lot.. read more →

The Law Office of Vanarelli & Li, LLC offers alternatives to the litigation of family conflicts through the use of Mediation and Collaborative Law. We specialize in Estate and Elder Mediation, a specialized form of mediation to help elders, the disabled and their families resolve conflict. In resolving issues that confront divorcing couples, we offer.. read more →

Very often, family members provide assistance in caring for an aged or disabled loved one.  The assistance is often provided at great personal and financial sacrifice by the family member involved in care-giving. One way to alleviate the financial sacrifice experienced by the care-giver to some extent is by utilizing a Personal Services Contract (“PSC”)… read more →

I was named to the Super Lawyer list in 2011 in the area of Elder Law. Elder Law is a legal specialty encompassing a number of practice areas focusing on the legal issues affecting seniors and people with disabilities. The major legal practice areas under the umbrella of Elder Law include estate planning and trust.. read more →

Listed below are the blog posts, articles and other content from Vanarelli & Li, LLC website with the highest readership in 2010. For blog posts, the original post date is included after each hyperlinked title. Gift Tax Annual Exclusion Amount Unchanged In 2010 – October 31, 2009 “Blue Water” Navy Vietnam Veterans Now Eligible For.. read more →

(The 13th Annual Elder and Disability Law Symposium was held on September 29, 2010 at the New Jersey Law Center, in New Brunswick, NJ. This year I was asked to give the case law update at the opening session, summarizing the most significant legal developments over the past year in the areas of elder and.. read more →

Lawyers who regularly deal with elderly and disabled clients like I do often confront the issue of client capacity. Under our professional rules, a lawyer may represent a client who has less than full capacity, although a lawyer is precluded from representing a client who lacks capacity. The issue confronting the lawyer involves properly assessing.. read more →

The New Jersey Foundation for Aging was founded in 1998 to improve the quality of life of New Jersey’s older residents. The Foundation is a nongovernmental, nonprofit organization that derives its financial support through contributions from private donors, public and private foundations and corporations. The mission of the Foundation is “to improve and expand new.. read more →

Last week, at the annual State Bar Association Convention in Atlantic City, I was inducted  as the Chair of the Elder and Disability Law Section of the New Jersey State Bar Association for 2010 – 2011. As readers of this blog know, elder and disability law are highly specialized areas of law which address the.. read more →

Donald D. Vanarelli, Esq., Certified Elder Law Attorney and Accredited Veterans Attorney, was among the 100 attendees of the 4th  Annual Meeting of the Academy of Special Needs Planners, which took place March 19-20th in Charleston, SC. Special needs planning is one of the fastest-growing areas of estate planning.  Attorneys in the field focus on.. read more →