Do You Have a Living Will, Do Your Parents, Do Your Adult Children?
by Thomas D. Begley, Jr., Esquire, CELA What is a Living Will and why has the need become so urgent? A Living Will is a legal/medical document also known as an Advance Health Care Directive. It allows an individual to clearly and formally communicate his or her end-of-life wishes to loved ones and to care providers. The individual…
What Is An Able Account And How Can It Help Protect Your SSI Check? – Begley Report
by Thomas D. Begley, Jr., Esquire, CELA An ABLE account is a new device available to the disability community that allows a disabled individual to have a limited bank account without risking eligibility for their means-tested public benefits. ABLE accounts can receive $15,000 per year from all sources, and are capped at the maximum account…
10 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ABLE ACCOUNTS
by Thomas D. Begley, Jr., Esquire, CELA On December 16, 2014, Congress enacted and sent to the President for signature an Act known as Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act of 2014.[1] This Act is to provide a tax-favored account, similar to a 529 Plan, for individuals with disabilities to pay for qualified…
PLANNING FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS PART 1
by Thomas D. Begley, Jr., CELA General According to Annual Disability Statistics Compendium published by the federal government, in 2014 there were 39,674,679 individuals with disabilities living in the community, a prevalence rate of 12.6%. This number is increasing as disabilities, such as Autism and Alzheimer’s Disease, become more prevalent. Non-institutionalized civilians with disabilities age…