Sheri R. Abrams's Blog, page 10
August 16, 2018
Should My Child’s Special Needs Trust Own a Home?
One of the biggest concerns for parents of children with disabilities is where their child will live in the future. Adequate housing options for people with disabilities is a challenge to say the least. Some parents want their child to continue to live in the family home after they are gone. Other parents consider leaving funds for their child that would allow them to own their own home. In both cases, it must be determined if the home should be owned by a Special Needs Trust. The first step...
August 11, 2018
How Much Does It Cost to Work with a Lawyer on a Social Security Disability Case?
Many people initially avoid calling a lawyer to help them with their Social Security Disability case because they are afraid of what it may cost.
After all, the process of filing for benefits can seem straight-forward and easy enough on paper, so it can be tempting to go it alone without professional help.
However, it’s important to know that working with a lawyer on your Social Security Disability case will cost you NOTHING up front.
While the process of applying for Social Security Disabili...
Social Security Adds 5 New Compassionate Allowances Conditions
The Social Security Administration has expanded its list of conditions qualifying for expedited processing for disability benefits.
The 5 new Compassionate Allowances conditions brings the total number of conditions on the Compassionate Allowances list to 233.
The Compassionate Allowances program reduces the time it takes to make decisions on disability applications filed by claimants with the most serious disabilities, so they receive decisions on their claims within days, instead of months...
July 27, 2018
Can I Purchase a Car While on Supplemental Security Income (SSI)?
Many people who are disabled and collect Supplemental Security Income (SSI) maintain the ability to drive, despite their conditions. At some point, the person with disabilities may need to purchase a new car, and since their benefits are needs-based, they may wonder what their restrictions are and if they can purchase a car while on Supplemental Security Income.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is not to be confused with Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), which is a disability be...
July 16, 2018
The Worst Way to “Help” a Child with Special Needs
Inexperienced attorneys and financial planners have a really bad habit of telling parents of children with special needs that they need to write their child out of their estate plan in order to maintain their child’s eligibility for government benefits. While this tactic would accomplish the goal of preserving government benefits, it is the worst way to help a child with special needs.
Both Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medicaid are means-tested programs with very strict income and a...
July 7, 2018
How Much Does It Cost to Work with a Lawyer on a Social Security Disability Case?
Many people initially avoid calling a lawyer to help them with their Social Security Disability case because they are afraid of what it may cost.
After all, the process of filing for benefits can seem straight-forward and easy enough on paper, so it can be tempting to go it alone without professional help.
However, it’s important to know that working with a lawyer on your Social Security Disability case will cost you NOTHING up front.
While the process of applying for Social Security Disabili...
June 29, 2018
Why Updating Your Beneficiary Forms is Crucial When You Have A Special Needs Trust
A Special Needs Trust is an important tool to utilize if you have a child or grandchild with disabilities whom you wish to leave an inheritance when you pass away.
In order to receive public benefits such as Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI), your child can only have very limited resources (usually less than $2,000) to maintain eligibility. That means that any inheritance received by your child could result in their disqualification for the important benefits on which they rely...
June 22, 2018
Consistency is Key for Social Security Disability Cases
Social Security Disability cases often come down to one thing; does the judge believe you are disabled? One of the ways the judge will determine this is to ensure that your statements about your symptoms have remained consistent.
Some of the factors the judge will use to determine the extent of your disability are as follows:
Your own words
You’ve most likely filled out a number of Social Security forms. These forms will be used as evidence in estimating your abilities. If you answered on one...
June 13, 2018
In Virginia, How Much Can a Doctor Charge a Patient or an Attorney For Medical Records?
As you can imagine as part of my law practice I need to request a large amount of medical records for my clients. I also, on occasion, have had to request my own medical records. I am always surprised at how much a doctr’s office will charge for medical records.
If a patient requests a copy of his or her own records, a medical provider may charge a “reasonable cost based fee,” which can only include the cost of supplies for, and labor of, copying the requested information, postage, and prep...
June 8, 2018
Why You Should Consider Working with a Special Needs Attorney in Virginia
For parents of children with disabilities, even those that are already adults, it’s a good idea to take the extra step of meeting with a Special Needs Attorney in Virginia when planning for the future.
This gives you the opportunity to map out the best possible scenario for your child if you are no longer able to provide care for him or her on your own.
For example, you will want to work with your lawyer to determine how to set up funding for your child’s expenses after your death. You will...
