Practice Area: Social Security.
Outcome: Social Security Benefits Obtained
Description: Client applied for spousal Social Security benefits. Although separated from her husband after ten years of marriage, they never divorced. Her husband travelled to a remote foreign country and was never heard from again, and there were only rumors of his recent death. We filed a claim for benefits on her behalf. We contacted people in the remote country, visited the consulate for that foreign country located in Washington D.C., and ultimately were able to prove to the satisfaction of the Social Security Administration that her husband was deceased. Our client received retroactive and current benefits.
Practice Area: Elder Law
Outcome: Medicaid Application Approved
Description: Client, a resident in a nursing home, expended nearly all of her funds for nursing home care. An obstacle in her application for Medicaid were questions about some transactions within the five year look back period. We obtained copies of all bank statements and other supporting evidence of income and expenses to construct five years of financial statements. We also obtained documentation and testimony to support the legitimacy of the questioned transactions. We set up irrevocable funeral trust and made other exempt expenditures. We negotiated with creditors to pay as many outstanding bills as possible with remaining funds. Client qualified for Medicaid to pay her nursing home bills, and most creditors accepted a discounted payment on outstanding bills. Some creditors illegally contacted or harassed client for outstanding amounts, and we referred her to a consumer rights attorney.
Practice Area: Wills / Living Wills
Outcome: Estate Planning Completed
Description: Estate planning for same-sex couple concerned about the care and custody of children from a previous marriage, who were currently were living with them. Wills, advance medical directives, power of attorney forms were filed. Standby guardianship forms were also prepared.
Practice Area: Wills / Living Wills
Outcome: Estate Planning Completed
Description: New parents requested a will, power of attorney, advance medical directive and standby guardianship documents for their child. These were drafted and executed.
Practice Area: Trusts
Outcome: Special Needs Trust Established And Funded
Description: Family wished to provide for a sibling with severe handicap, who was currently receiving public benefits. We assisted the family by setting up and initially funding a third party special needs trust which would receive both inter vivos and testamentary contributions from family members.
Practice Area: Probate
Outcome: Final Accounting Approved And Estate Closed
Description: Our client passed unexpectedly and had directed in her personal papers that we probate her estate. Together with the executor, we probated the estate according to the wishes of our client. We assisted in filing the Inheritance tax returns, disposing of assets at maximum value, filing the final estate accounting in Orphans Court. We easily complied with the wishes of our client that her family be at least as close together at the end of probate, as when we started the project.
Practice Area: Elder Law
Outcome: Client received proper medications, medical care and safe housing.
Description: Daughter living in another country called us to assist her mother who was living in our area, and having difficulty with day to day living. We enlisted the help of a care manager and gerontological nurse practitioner. We drafted a caregiver agreement with one relative to care for our client at home as long as possible, and bring her to doctor’s appointments. When it became apparent that our client could no longer safely live at home, we helped the family review local facilities and reviewed the contracts for those facilities and assisted in the placement of our client.