The Latest from Susan Katzen

A New Jersey man has been charged with stealing $330,000 from the special needs trust (SNT) of a man living in a long-term care facility.  The case highlights the importance of having a professional trustee manage an SNT. According to a criminal complaint filed by the FBI, in December 2017 Burlin...

A scion of the Kennedy family has pleaded guilty to embezzling nearly $8 million that was intended to purchase structured settlement annuities for children who were plaintiffs in medical malpractice cases. According to one structured settlement industry insider, the case offers another glaring ex...

In the best of times, those who care for a family member while also working can face difficulties balancing work and caregiving duties, and the service disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have made things substantially more challenging.  New legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate would...

If a person with special needs has assets — perhaps from a lawsuit award or settlement or from a gift or inheritance – those assets can disqualify the person from receiving essential public benefits like Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).  A special needs trust can allow the person ...

If you are injured because of someone else's negligence, you may have to resort to a personal injury lawsuit in order to obtain payment for the medical care you will need in the future and to compensate you for your pain and suffering. If your injury falls under the workers' compensation system, ...

The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic recession have sparked fresh concerns about the long-term solvency of Social Security's trust funds.  The Social Security system is funded by payroll taxes, split equally between employers and their workers. Historically, Social Security collected ...

As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, voting by mail is rapidly becoming the preferred method of states and municipalities looking to protect the right to vote in the current primaries and the November election. But in many jurisdictions, the needs of people with disabilities are not being taken int...

As many jurisdictions and businesses require store customers to wear face masks to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, a legal theory is circulating on social media, and in recently filed lawsuits, that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prevents people from being forced to wea...

Trusts are important vehicles in special needs planning. They not only set aside funds to pay for the care of the person with special needs while maintaining eligibility for programs like Medicaid, but they provide ways to preserve these funds through the person's lifetime. What happens, though, ...

Shopping online has become a literal lifeline during the COVID-19 pandemic for many at-risk individuals.  But for millions of people on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) who are currently unable to enter grocery stores, online shopping is not an option for purchasing food. Resp...

You should be aware of some of the other procedures involved in estate settlement. Here is a quick review of some of them. Your attorney, as well as the organizations mentioned, can provide more details. Transferring property When thinking about transferring your property, what probably first c...

For many families, their wealth is inextricably intertwined with a family business enterprise. Financial and legal decisions made for the business will impact the family, and estate planning for the family can likewise have consequences for the business. Entrepreneurs should begin with the end in...

If you share your estate with charity, it will cut your estate tax bill. Direct bequests to charity are fully deductible for estate tax purposes. Leave your entire estate to charity, and you'll owe no estate taxes at all. In addition to tax advantages, contributing to charity is a good way to lea...

Ten states have community property systems: Alaska (elective), Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin. Under a community property system, your total estate consists of your 50% share of community property and 100% of your separate property. What...

Few people have more estate planning issues to deal with than the family-business owner. The business may be the most valuable asset in the owner's estate. Yet, two out of three family-owned businesses don't survive the first generation. If you are a business owner, you should address the followi...