This past Tuesday, December 13th, the Cures Act, containing the SPECIAL NEEDS TRUST FAIRNESS ACT, was signed by President Obama and passed into law; this marks an enormous milestone for individuals with disabilities! The passage of this legislation establishes liberties for persons with disabilities which had been previously denied to them.
Over the past couple of years, when on social media, I have seen more and more crowdfunding and personal fundraising efforts. Crowdfunding sites such as GoFundMe and Kickstarter cut out the middleman of fundraising, allowing the person or organization in need to appeal directly to the general public.
In many cases, crowdfunding takes place when a family member or friend has a medical emergency and needs help with paying the bills. Unfortunately, many do not take into account other contributing factors or benefits some people may already be receiving. For example, if a crowdfunding site is established for a person with special needs who is receiving disability or medical benefits, negative repercussions can be seen.
Russo Law Group, P.C. is pleased to share this article on behalf of guest author Michael Gilfix. The IRA Trust is the preferred method to give the beneficiaries of your retirement account protections that are otherwise not available to them. Why…
Many nursing home facilities in the United States receive funding from Medicaid and/or Medicare. Those facilities which do receive federal funds are regulated by federal law. These laws are the basis for all nursing home residents’ quality of care, rights,…
The Trump Policy Analysis Group (TPAG) [1] has convened to consider probable changes in law that will affect older Americans and those with special needs. Initial TPAG focus is on entitlements, public benefits, tax, special needs planning, and veterans’ benefits. We…
Many years ago, there were certain restrictions for home care. It used to be that, in a home care setting, if somebody wanted to hire help outside of an agency to care for mom and dad, that hired person could…
Being the trustee of a special needs trust is a very important role as it serves to protect the interests of a beneficiary with special needs. Often, a special needs trust is established so that the beneficiary can have the…
In our last article, we discussed the ramifications of not having a succession plan in place for a business. In this article, we will discuss the role of a fiduciary of an estate, and how an individual in that role…
When someone owns a business and they pass away, the business does not just stop automatically—even if they are the top partner or sole proprietor. There are still employees who need to be paid, products that need to be sold,…
As we age, we are taught that it is important to have a will. Some of us recognize the value of having a Durable Power of Attorney, Health Care Proxy, Living Will, and Living Trusts. What happens beyond those items?…