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Great News for ABLE Accounts!

December 30, 2022 By //  by Ashley Clower

Great news for the ABLE accounts.  Thumbs up to the ABLE Age Adjustment Act (HR 4813/S 2704), which has recently been approved.  This bill increases from 26 to 46 the age threshold for tax-favored ABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience) accounts. (ABLE accounts are designed to enable individuals with disabilities to save for and pay for disability-related expenses. To establish an account, an individual must have a qualifying impairment that began before the individual attained the age threshold.)  These changes will be effective January 1, 2026.

This means that people who sustain an injury later in life that leads to a disabling condition can now qualify for ABLE accounts.  Our office has received calls over the years, especially in the case of a person sustaining a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) at an age older than 26, which has previously led our office to explaining that an ABLE account was not available to the newly disabled person.  This Act will give a much broader range of people the ability to utilize an ABLE account.

If you have any questions about these new provisions or how to plan for disabilities sustained later in life, please do not hesitate to contact our office for assistance.

Filed Under: Estate Planning and/or Elder Law

Social Security Cost of Living Could Hit All Time High in 2023

September 13, 2022 By //  by Ashley Clower

Social Security is projected to climb as high as 10% in 2023, which would be the biggest increase in more than 40 years.  The annual cost of living adjustment (COLA) is designed to help benefits keep up with inflation.  Experts anticipate that the average Social Security retirement benefit of $1,656.00 by $144.10.  Social Security Administration will not make this announcement until approximately mid-October for the actual COLA.    It will be interesting to see what the actual COLA increase will be and if it will be enough in light of the fact that expenses and costs for essentials are increasing faster than they ever have.  If you are getting ready to retire, it may be a good time to review your estate plan.

See information on Social Security’s website at https://www.ssa.gov/oact/solvency/provisions/cola.html

Filed Under: Estate Planning and/or Elder Law

Sacramento Magazine Top Lawyers 2022 names Ashley Clower

September 13, 2022 By //  by Ashley Clower

Congratulations to Ashley Clower for being named one of Sacramento Magazine’s Top Lawyers of 2022!

Also, congratulations to all of the other attorneys named in the edition.  The nominees were reviewed to ensure they are in good standing with the State Bar of California and were nominated by Sacramento area attorneys who recommended their peers in certain areas of the law.   Ashley Clower was nominated by her peers in the Estate Planning and Probate category.  What an honor!

You can read it at https://issuu.com/sacramentomagazine/docs/august_22.

 

Filed Under: Estate Planning and/or Elder Law

California Probate Values Increased in 2022

June 28, 2022 By //  by Ashley Clower

As of April 1, 2022, the small estate limits have been changed in California. They have been increased for deaths occurring on or after April 1, 2022, which is now $184,500. The limits for death prior to April 1, 2022 remain the same, which was $166,250.  This means that small estates affidavits and Petitions to Determine Succession to Real Property can be done if the value of the decedent’s estate is under $184,500.

The new limit for Affidavits for Succession to Real Property of Small Value has increased from $55,425 to $61,500.  Again, this increase in limits applies to deaths occurring on or after April 1, 2022.

Judicial Council of California has created a new form which must be attached to several affidavits and petitions.  This form also explains the new values in a chart form.  You can see this new form here.  Of course, if you are confused about these new amounts, what they mean for you and your loved ones, or just need assistance with administration of an estate, please contact Clower Law.

Filed Under: Estate Planning and/or Elder Law

CalABLE increases contribution limits in 2022

January 5, 2022 By //  by Ashley Clower

 

CalABLE accounts are now allowing up to $16,000 in contributions, which is an increase from the previous limit of $15,000.  Additionally, employed owners of a CalABLE account can contribute an amount equal to their current year gross income up to an additional $12,880.  The amount of $100,000 total in a CalABLE amount remains the limit with no effect on receiving SSI benefits.  You can read more directly on the CalABLE website here.

Filed Under: Estate Planning and/or Elder Law, Special Needs

Fire Victims and Settlement Planning

August 16, 2021 By //  by Ashley Clower

In recent history, we have seen some of the most devastating fires in California.  Notably, the Camp Fire became one of the most destructive and deadliest fires that California has ever seen.  CalFire determined that the Camp Fire was caused by PG&E.  As such, several victims of the Camp Fire have sought legal representation from personal injury attorneys all over Northern California.  Despite the fact that PG&E has filed for bankruptcy, PG&E has started to pay out on claims from the Camp Fire and others.  As such, Clower Law has recently been receiving telephone calls asking if there is a way to preserve public benefits for the victims who are receiving settlements.  There are several options for the victims, including special needs trusts, ABLE accounts, pooled trusts and others.  Here at Clower Law, we are committed to helping all California wildfire victims with their own individual needs to preserve their vital public benefits and ensure that their compensation can help them get back on their feet.  If you are a California wildfire victim receiving compensation, please call for a consultation to see how we can help you.

Filed Under: Estate Planning and/or Elder Law

COVID-19 and Estate Planning

May 31, 2020 By //  by Ashley Clower

Clower Law has received many calls, especially at the beginning of this COVID-19 crisis.  People were very concerned that their estate plan wasn’t in place or needed to be updated and I could not be more proud of my clients for considering their estate plan during this crisis.  I think that the COVID-19 pandemic just reminded people of all of the things on their To-Do list that had remained untouched for months, or years.  This pandemic has created many estate planning issues, but the basic issue is: do you have an estate plan? If you do not have an estate plan, it is likely that your heirs will have to go to probate court to determine how to distribute your assets.  If court is involved, your assets may not necessarily be divided amongst the individuals to whom you wish to receive your assets.  Probate court will also cause your heirs to incur additional legal fees and take precious time to handle your estate, which could have been avoided with careful planning.

Clower Law shut down completely during a shelter in place order.  Fortunately, thanks to technology and forgiving and patient clients, Clower Law was able to get through the shelter in place by virtual meetings.  As we are slowly starting to re-open, please know that Clower Law is taking precautions to keep clients safe.  Unfortunately, our state does not allow for any type of online notarization or witnessing, which are almost always required to complete your estate plan.  As such, Clower Law is limiting the number of clients allowed in to the office, clients are only allowed into the conference room and the conference room gets a cleaning after every clients visits.   Additionally, when you come in to sign your documents, you will notice that the notary and the attorney will be wearing masks.  If you have any additional requests, please let me know and I will do the best I can to accommodate you.  I have missed meeting my clients in person and I want everyone to stay safe!  Thank you all for bearing with me in new procedures and very strange times.  I don’t know what the future holds, but you can bet that I’m rooting for in person meetings, handshakes and hugs to come back soon!

Filed Under: Estate Planning and/or Elder Law

When Do I Need to Involve a Settlement Planner and What Is a Settlement Planner?

December 12, 2018 By //  by Ashley Clower

settlement planning handshakePersonal injury attorneys spend countless hours getting a great result for their clients. If the injured client is a minor or is relying on needs based public benefits, the assistance of a settlement planning attorney can be useful in guiding the personal injury attorney through these complex legal areas so the injured person’s matter can be efficiently resolved.  The injured person will receive long lasting benefits as a result of settlement planning.

Settlement planning attorneys (also known as estate planners or special needs attorneys) can assist with understanding public benefits and help the injured person decide whether a special needs trust or other planning tools are most appropriate, on a case by case basis.  Settlement planning attorneys quickly determine whether an adult with capacity can establish a special needs trust to preserve crucial public benefits, whether court involvement will be necessary, or if the establishment of a conservatorship should be considered.  Settlement planning attorneys work with the injured clients and their trusted loved ones to create and execute a settlement plan that will help the injured person meet the injured person’s goals and needs.  This article will help personal injury attorneys identify when settlement planning is needed and how to recognize issues that could cause problems for their clients.

  1. How do personal injury attorneys know when it’s time to use a settlement planner?

Personal injury attorneys should know whether the injured party is on needs based public benefits. Usually, the personal injury attorneys are aware of the fact that their client is on Medi-Cal because of their access to multiple medical records and bills.  The personal injury attorneys have a gut feeling that they need to do something to help the injured persons protect their benefits, but the injured persons do not seem very concerned about keeping their benefits or the consequences of receiving even a modest settlement.  The injured persons assume the settlement proceeds will last much longer than they ever really do, they don’t want to be on Medi-Cal in the first place, or they feel that they will just spend the money immediately and not lose benefits.  When the injured persons lose their public benefits, they will struggle with how to get back on the benefits and the settlement proceeds are quickly used up.  It is not up to the personal injury attorneys to protect the injured persons from every single bad thing that could happen and the personal injury attorneys are not suddenly required to become an expert on settlement planning.  However, it would be beneficial for personal injury attorneys to know some basic information on how the settlement is going to affect their client’s eligibility for public benefits.  Some courts have held that not considering and planning for the client’s means-tested government benefits can result in a legal malpractice claim.  See the unreported Texas cases Grillo v. Pettiette, et al.  96-145090-92 (96thDist. Ct., Tarrant Cty., Texas); Grillo v. Henry Cause, 96-167943-96 (96thDist. Ct., Tarrant Cty., Texas). Courts have also found that not considering and planning for the client’s means-tested government benefits can result in a breach of fiduciary duty or dereliction of duty if not considered by a fiduciary or denied by a court.  Department of Social Services v. Saunders, 247 Conn. 686, 724 A. 2d 1093 (1999).  At a minimum, the personal injury attorney should protect himself/herself by informing the client of how settlement planning can assist the injured party with management of the settlement proceeds and if the injured party chooses not to utilize settlement planning, the personal injury attorney can document the file that the advice was given and ignored or refused.

This is where settlement planners can assist the personal injury attorneys.  Using a team approach, the settlement planner can look at the injured person’s big picture and bring in financial planners, structured settlement brokers, accountants, public benefits specialists, and private fiduciaries, depending on the person’s needs.  No one person can address all of the issues that come with settlement planning.  The personal injury attorney can rest easy knowing that he or she has done a necessary service for the injured person.  To help guide you, as the personal injury attorney, Robinson & Fulton Law has created a useful checklist to determine if you should require assistance from a settlement planner.  We hope that it is useful in your daily practice.

  1. How do personal injury attorneys know if the injured party is on needs based public benefits? Why does the personal injury attorney need to assist the client in understanding what types of benefits the client receives? 

Not every injured person needs to consider settlement planning.  The first question the personal injury attorney should ask the injured party is: “What type of benefits do you receive?”  The answer is almost always inevitably, “Disability.” However, not all disability benefits are needs based.  Injured parties on entitlement benefits, such as Social Security Disability or Medicare, are not required to do any settlement planning. Injured parties on needs based public benefits, such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medi-Cal, need to consider settlement planning.  Other programs, such as CalFresh (food stamps), Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8 housing) and In Home Supportive Services (IHSS) can all have a needs based component to them and should also be considered in settlement planning.  If the injured party is not quite sure what type of benefits he or she is currently receiving, Social Security can be contacted and a benefits statement can be provided upon request of the injured party or the representative of the injured party. Injured parties can receive a combination of Medicare, Medi-Cal, Social Security Disability and SSI.

According to Social Security, an adult person is considered disabled if the person has a physical or mental impairment that will last 12 months or longer (or will soon lead to death) that prevents the person from engaging in substantial gainful employment (working and earning $1,180 a month).  A person under this definition of disability should qualify for SSI if that person has low monthly income and has resources worth less than $2,000.  Exemptions do exist. A person can own one primary residence, one vehicle of any value, irrevocable pre-paid funeral contracts, etc. If a person can qualify for even $1 of SSI, the person will automatically qualify for Medi-Cal.  However, a person CAN qualify for Medi-Cal based on the poverty level and not based on disability.  These individuals will be unable to create a special needs trust as only disabled persons can create special needs trusts under 42 U.S.C. section 1396p(d)(4)(a).

SSI is a federal program that provides a modest income stipend to persons who meet a certain eligibility criteria.  SSI will pay a person up to $910.72 per month in California in 2018.  SSI is available to those over 65, who are blind or disabled, as long as they meet the resource and income limitations. A person receiving SSI will be penalized for 36 months for gifting away assets.

Public benefits are incredibly complex and the injured parties rarely understand the complexities behind the benefits they receive.  As a personal injury attorney, it is crucial that you assist your client in determining what benefits the client receives.  If there is any question that your client receives needs based public benefits, any amount of settlement proceeds will likely change your client’s future benefits.  A settlement planner should be consulted to determine the exact benefits that your client receives and the best course of action to take for your specific client.  Each individual is different and each of the injured party’s unique circumstances should be considered when engaging in settlement planning.

  1. What tools are used to maintain needs based public benefits and planning for the injured person’s post-settlement financial life?

Various tools can be combined to maintain needs based public benefits for the injured person. The tools that are most successful for the injured persons include:

►  Invest the settlement in “exempt” resources (the “spend down approach”).  A primary residence, a vehicle, and certain other items do not count toward the asset/resource limitation for needs-based public benefits.  For example, the injured person can use the settlement proceeds to purchase a home, improve the existing home, buy medical equipment  or purchase a car, and still maintain needs-based public benefits.

►Fund an ABLE account.  An ABLE account can be funded with up to $15,000 per year.  A disabled individual can only have one account and can only create an account if the disability occurred prior to the age of 26.  A helpful website for information on all 50 states’ ABLE accounts and a tool to compare each state’s program to other states can be found at www.ablenrc.org.

►Transfer settlement funds to a pooled trust.  The pooled trust, also called a (d)(4)(C) trust, is a trust established and managed by a nonprofit association.  The pooled trust management invests the assets and makes distributions to the beneficiary.  It can be used in conjunction with a structured settlement and it is the only viable trust option available to preserve needs-based public benefits for persons over the age of 65.

►Establish a first party special needs trust. A first party special needs trust (SNT), also known as a litigation SNT, payback SNT or a (d)(4)(A) trust, is used when an individual receives assets, such as a settlement or an inheritance, which would otherwise disqualify that person from receiving needs-based public benefits.  42 U.S.C. 1396p(d)(4)(A) authorizes the creation of the first party SNT wherein the settlement proceeds may be retained in the SNT for the sole benefit of the injured person with a disability who is under the age of 65 without the injured person losing eligibility for needs-based public benefits.  The first party SNT also must provide that, on the death of the beneficiary, the trustee must repay Medicaid (Medi-Cal) for all benefits received by the beneficiary during his or her lifetime to the extent that funds remain in the trust at the beneficiary’s death.  The first party SNT provides flexibility to the injured person by allowing the injured person to choose a trustee who will manage the assets for the injured person and by allowing the injured person and trustee to choose the investment options that work best for the injured person. The first party SNT integrates well with structured settlements, Medicare Set Aside arrangements, investment accounts and non-liquid assets.  During the injured person’s lifetime, the first party SNT can pay for several types of items to enhance the injured person’s quality of life.

►Gifting of the assets when the injured party is on needs-based public benefits, but is not “disabled”. In certain circumstances, an injured person may be on needs-based public benefits, such as Medi-Cal, but does not meet the definition of “disabled” under the Social Security Act.  In these rare occasions, our firm can help design a plan in which the injured person participates in a “spend down approach” as described above, and/or a gifting of assets to a trusted family member who can then protect these assets for the injured person.  This is a complex area and requires very careful planning that is dependent on the injured person’s specific situation.

  1. What are the most frequently asked questions that personal injury attorneys have?

►Can I still put the injured person’s money in my trust account?  Yes.  However, it cannot just sit there for a long period of time (could result in a loss of public benefits to your client) and if you attempt to make small distributions over a long period of time, it will still result in a loss of benefits to your client.

►If my client engages in settlement planning, will it hold up disbursements from my trust account for fees and costs and other liens?  No.  It is beneficial to get a settlement planner involved early for a multitude of reasons.  The personal injury attorney can still negotiate liens and make disbursements as necessary while settlement planning is occurring.

►Do the defendants/insurance companies have to fund the injured party’s special needs trust directly or cut separate checks for the amount to be funded into the injured party’s special needs trust?  No.  The personal injury attorney can receive the checks in the same manner as they always do.  The personal injury attorney can then make the check from the trust account payable directly to the trustee of the special needs trust.

►Do I need to have special language put into the settlement release?  No.  Your client will still receive the settlement proceeds as usual.  The planning will be done by the client post-settlement, so settlement planning has no effect on the release language.

►Is the injured party required to do a structured settlement?  No.  The injured party needs to look at the person’s individual needs and circumstances.  Involving a team helps the injured party to see the big picture and make wise investment decisions.  What worked for your last client is not going to work for this client.

►If I have my client receive a structured settlement with small payments, won’t that keep my client on public benefits?  No. The amount held in the structured settlement would likely still be considered an asset or resource of your client. The structured settlement should be used in conjunction with a special needs trust.

►Do I need to do a Medicare Set Aside Trust for my client?  The answer is maybe. This is a decision that needs to be carefully considered by the personal injury attorney with the settlement planner.  If a Medicare Set Aside trust is necessary, it should be placed within a special needs trust, or the money funded in the Medicare Set Aside could be considered a resource or asset and your client could lose benefits.

►If I have my client put the settlement proceeds into a special needs trust, can I avoid paying the Medi-Cal lien that I have received?  No.  Pursuant to 42 U.S.C. §1396a, 42 U.S.C. §1396k, and 42 CFR §§433.145-433.146, when reimbursement is sought from a third party through an assignment provisions, the state is the first to retain that portion of any amount collected as is necessary to reimburse it for medical assistance payments made on behalf of an individual with respect to whom such assignment was executed and the remainder of such amount collected shall be paid to the individual.  See the line of cases that have determined that the recipient’s settlement funds first must satisfy the state’s lien and the remainder then may be transferred to a special needs trust:  Cricchio v. Pennisi,90 N.Y. 2d, 683 N.E. 2d 301 (1997); Cuello v. Valley Farm Workers Clinic, Inc.,91 Wn. App. 307, 957 P.2d 1258 (1998); In re Estate of Calhoun, 291 Ill. App. 3d 839, 684 N.E. 2d 842 (1997).

If you have further questions or need assistance in any way click here to contact us. 

This article was published in Fall 2018, Volume XIII, Issue 3 edition of The Litigator, the official publication of the Capitol City Trial Lawyers Association and was co-authored by Ashley Clower and Margaret Heiser Fulton.  

 

Filed Under: Estate Planning and/or Elder Law

ABLE Accounts

December 12, 2018 By //  by Ashley Clower

SNT girl with paintABLE accounts are here and are an incredible tool for families with special needs.  But what is an ABLE account?

ABLE accounts are tax advantaged savings accounts for individuals with disabilities and their families.  This act was passed in 2014.  The beneficiary of the account is the account owner and the income earned by the accounts will not be taxed.  Contributions to the account can be made by any person, including the person with disability himself, family of the person with a disability or friends.  Any person who has a disability with an age of onset of disability prior to the age of 26 is eligible to establish an ABLE account. Each person with a disability can only have one account established and there are limits as to contributions to that account.  These accounts can act as a savings account for people with disabilities and the people with disabilities will still be able to keep their vital public benefits.

In California, ABLE accounts have become available as of December 18, 2018.  California’s program is called CalABLE and you can find information regarding these accounts at www.CalABLE.ca.gov.  An excellent resource to compare each state’s ABLE accounts is www.ablenrc.org.

It is a common question for families with special needs to ask if these ABLE accounts are a good replacement for special needs trusts.  The answer lies in what the family’s situation is and what the individual with a disability’s needs are.   Frequently, the answer is actually no.  ABLE accounts do not replace special needs trusts. However, they work incredibly well in conjunction with each other.

Here are some of the major differences between ABLE Accounts and Special Needs Trusts created by a third party for an individual with special needs:

–Anyone can use a special needs trust.  Only those who were disabled prior to 26 can use ABLE account.

–Anyone, including a person with a disability, can fund an ABLE account and also a special needs trust (as long as the person with a disability has capacity).

–ABLE accounts are limited to ONE per person with disability.  Any amount of special needs trusts can be established for a disabled person.

–ABLE accounts can be controlled by a person with the disability, legal guardians, conservators or agents.  Special needs trusts can be controlled by anyone except the person with a disability and his or her spouse.

–ABLE accounts can only be funded with a total of $15,000 (in 2018, or the annual gift exemption) in a year from all sources.  Special needs trusts can be funded with unlimited amounts.

–ABLE accounts are funded with no gift tax.  Special needs trusts can be taxed, but only after the donor has gifted more than $11,180,000.00 (in 2018), indexed to inflation.

–At the death of the person with a disability, any remaining funds in ABLE accounts may have to reimburse Medi-Cal for amounts paid by Medi-Cal after the creation of the ABLE account and then can go to named people or heirs.  A special needs trust allows for any remaining funds to go to people named in the document or to the person with disability’s heirs.

–ABLE accounts are capped at $475,000.00 in California or $100,000.00 if the person with a disability is on SSI.  There is no cap amount for special needs trusts.

–ABLE accounts allow for distributions for “qualified disability expenses” which can include housing, transportation, technology, etc.  Special needs trusts have no limitation on distributions; however, certain distributions (ie, for housing) may reduce or eliminate SSI or Medi-Cal eligibility.

If you have further questions or need assistance in any way click here to contact us. 

 

Filed Under: Special Needs

Trust Versus Will

November 23, 2018 By //  by Ashley Clower

Estate planning comes with many questions.  Many people use the terms “trust”, “will”, “trustee”, “executor”, and “administrator” interchangeably.  However, not everyone knows the differences between all of these terms.  These are all useful estate planning terms that all serve different purposes. A common question that I hear is “what is the difference between a trust and a will?”  Another way that people ask that question is “shouldn’t I just have a will?”

The answer is that a trust and a will are both useful estate planning devices and it is very common for the two of them to be used together to create a complete estate plan. Very commonly, in the state of California, a person will create a trust to avoid probate and then create what is known as a pour-over will.  These two documents will cover most situations.

A will is a document that only goes into effect after a person dies.  A trust goes into effect as soon as it is created, which is why you may have heard the term “living” trust.  A will only distributes your assets and property at death and appoints an executor to carry out your wishes after your death.  A trust can be used to make distributions before your death, at the death of only one of the two spouses, or at death.  A trust is an agreement created by a “settlor” (also called trustor or grantor) so that a “trustee” (a person who is going to hold legal title to property) can hold legal title to the property and assets that are held in the trust for a benefit of other people (called the “beneficiaries”).  Trusts can also provide for what would happen if someone were to become incapacitated.

A will covers property that is in your name as an individual when you die.  It does not cover any property held in the trust, or in another form such as joint tenancy.  A trust, in comparison, covers only property that has been transferred into the trust.  Trust funding (putting the property into the name of the trust) becomes crucial to ensure that the property can be included in the trust.

A will passes assets by going through probate. Probate is when the Court oversees the administration of the will and makes sure that the will is valid and the assets get distributed in accordance with the deceased person’s wishes.  A trust and all assets held in the trust pass without having the Court oversee the process.  Probate can be very costly and time consuming.  Trusts remain private, whereas a will becomes part of the public record.

Despite the differences between wills and trusts, the reason why it is common to have both in a complete estate plan is so that your larger assets can be held by the trust, but the will can act as a safety net in case something goes awry.  Additionally, having a will allows you to name a guardian for your children and to specify funeral arrangements, while a trust does not.

Each family has a unique set of needs and should discuss their own personal situation to determine what should be involved in their estate plan.  A thorough discussion will include your assets, your wishes, and who you want to designate to handle your affairs.  A reputable estate planning attorney will tell you how best to use a will and a trust in your estate plan.

If you have further questions or need assistance in any way click here to contact us. 

 

 

Filed Under: Estate Planning and/or Elder Law

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