Law Office of Donald D. Vanarelli Blog
New Jersey elder law, estate and special needs planning, mediation and collaborative family law.
Author: Donald D. Vanarelli practices at the Law Office of Donald D. Vanarelli in Westfield, N.J., and is a founding member of the Elder Mediation Center of New Jersey.
Blawg Related Categories: Alternative Dispute Resolution • Disability Law • Elder Law • Family Law • Health Law • Trusts & Estates • States • New Jersey • Solo / Small Firm
Recent Posts from Law Office of Donald D. Vanarelli Blog
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Superior Court Judge Upholds Her Decision Authorizing The Establishment Of Third Party Special Needs Trusts Within An Intestate Estate
I previously blogged about an Order entered in July 2009 by Hon. Patricia Del Bueno Cleary, J.S.C., a Superior Court Judge in Monmouth County, who granted my motion authorizing my client, the Administrator of his…
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New ABA Web Site Highlights Top Federal Appeals Court Rulings
In an effort to help the press and public identify and understand important federal appeals court rulings and cases, the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Federal Judicial Improvements has launched a new website that…
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ABA Panel Says Law Firms Must Market Themselves On the Internet
Here’s a hot news flash (NOT): law firms in 2009 should market themselves on the Internet. This recent message to lawyers and law firms from the American Bar Association seems just a bit dated. But…
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Managing End-of-Life Medical Decisions
Issues surrounding end-of-life medical decisions are seldom easy. However, planning for future healthcare needs, which includes end-of-life medical decision-making, is one of the most important acts elders can perform, both for themselves and their loved…
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Tips On The Use Of Promissory Notes / Loans In Estate Planning To Accelerate Medicaid Eligibility
Elder law attorneys who attended the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys’ program in Jersey City, New Jersey, on Nov. 5-8, 2009, offered some tips on the use of promissory notes / loans as an…
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Fox News Reports: “Collaborative Divorce Can Save Money”
Recently, Fox News did a video segment and report on collaborative divorce which featured two members of the New Jersey Collaborative Law Group (NJCLG), divorce lawyer Amy Schimalla and financial planner Jody D’agostini, giving an…
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Federal Appeals Court Rules That Annuity Payments Made To The Spouse Of A Nursing Home Resident Are Not Countable By Medicaid
In Weatherbee v. Richman, 595 F. Supp. 2d 607 (W.D. Pa. 2009), the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania reversed the denial of Medicaid benefits to a nursing home resident (“institutionalized spouse”),…
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First Training Session On Elder Mediation Held In New Jersey Is A Success
The Elder Mediation Center of New Jersey (EMC-NJ), a collaborative alliance of elder law mediators / attorneys, Tony Serra, Nina Weiss (Website: SerraWeiss) and Donald D. Vanarelli (Website: http://www.dvanarelli.com), and geriatric care manager Marcie Cooper…
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Penalty Period Will Not Start Until Applicant’s Prepayment of Nursing Home Care Costs Is Spent Down
In Shelales v. Director of the Office of Medicaid (Mass.App.Ct., No. 08-P-2052, Oct. 30, 2009), the Massachusetts Appeals Court ruled that the transfer penalty period resulting when an applicant for nursing home Medicaid benefits transferred some of…
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No Increase In Medicaid’s Community Spouse Resource Allowances For 2010
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services has announced that with no increase in the consumer price index upon which the spousal impoverishment standards are based, there will be no increase in the community spouse…