With the sequester scheduled to take effect this Friday, March 1, 2013, the media has reported that Social Security will not be affected. This is not entirely true. Although benefits will not be cut, the agencies operating budget will be reduced. This is an agency that is already racked with budget cuts. Many of the local Social Security offices have reduced operating hours, closing at 3:00 PM. Lines at some of these local offices has been known to be out the doors, and being kept on hold for more than 30 minutes is common.

The Social Security Administration predicts that the sequester will mean the elimination of 5,000 jobs from the agency. This means that millions of Americans who depend on Social Security for retirement and disability payments are at the mercy of the agency that does not have the resources it needs to handle all the applications. This means that people who apply for disability will have less service, longer lines and longer processing times before they can receive the assistance that they need.

With a reduction of Social Security staff to answer your questions, being represented by an experienced Social Security attorney will make sure that you have someone knowledgeable to answer your questions and to shepherd your case through the process. With wait times for hearings expected to increase by up to two months, you want to make sure that when you do have your hearing, you have someone next to you who can present your evidence and prove your case in front of the judge.

Are law firms required to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) when dealing with clients and the general public? You bet they are. Failing to do so just cost a law firm $60,000 and significant costs associated with changing their policies and procedures when dealing with disabled members of the public. Specifically, this law firm refused to accept calls from members of the deaf community; instead, they would demand that the caller call back when management was around. Two members of the deaf community complained to United States Department of Justice (USDOJ), which started an investigation. The investigation discovered this policy of discrimination. Of interest, the law firm was required to pay $30,000 to each of the 2 complaining parties, along with making substantial changes to their policies and procedures. Yearly staff training is now required of this firm, along with significant other and expensive modifications to the firm’s procedures.

LaBovick Law Group has divisions dedicated to pursuit of ADA compliance as well as defending businesses and property owners who find them inadvertently violating the ADA. Members of the deaf community are encouraged to enforce their rights under the ADA by pursuit of complaints of discrimination. LaBovick Law Group has successfully prosecuted medical services providers under section 504 of the Medicare Rehabilitation Act which prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities by medical services providers. If you feel that you or someone you know has been a part of a discrimination act call us at LaBovick Law Group for a free consultation.

Anyone who has ever applied for Social Security disability benefits knows how frustrating and cumbersome the process can be. It can take anywhere from four months to two years to have the Social Security Administration determine if you meet the qualifications for disability. In an effort to expedite the process for extremely ill applicants, the Social Security Administration created Compassionate Care Allowances. This list of conditions allows people who suffer from certain cancers and heart conditions, among other diseases, to be fast-tracked through the approval process. The Compassionate Care Allowances allow Social Security to grant you benefits if you have a medical diagnosis of the condition. You are spared the months or years it takes to pull all of your medical records and then have Social Security review them using their five-step system.

If you think you qualify for the Compassionate Care Allowance, you should speak with a Social Security Attorney immediately who can assist you with your application and make sure that you are fast-tracked to receiving benefits.

If you would like to read more from the Palm Beach Post, go to this article: http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/business/consumer-advice/compassionate-allowances-provide-fast-track-to-ben/nWRr5/

The government safety net offers multiple programs for people who are unable to financially take care of themselves. Two of the most widely used programs are unemployment insurance and Social Security Disability Insurance. Unemployment insurance is paid to persons who have been terminated from their employment and is meant to bridge the gap until that worker can find another job. Unemployment is meant to be temporary and kicks in immediately. Social Security Disability Insurance or SSDI is a long term solution. SSDI is for people with disabilities who are no longer able to work due to either mental or physical disabilities.
To qualify for SSDI the claimant must either have been disabled for 12 months or it is likely that the disability will continue for at least 12 months. SSDI is long term disability insurance and is in place for people who are no longer able to work. If you suffer from a disability that has affected you for more than 12 months or if your doctor tells you that it will continue for more than 12 months then you should apply for SSDI. If you have been out of work for more than 6 months then you should apply immediately. If you hesitate to apply your benefits may be reduced by thousands of dollars. If you are interested in applying for SSDI contact the attorneys at the LaBovick Law Group to review your claim.

I have older children now, and my kids are looking at colleges and where to escape for their summers. Yet, I remember needing daycare for them. I also have friends who have either started having children later in life, have second families starting up, or are just lucky because they are younger than me. Meanwhile, I see that finding a safe and affordable daycare is a huge challenge. Did you know that the costs of childcare exceed a family’s annual median rent in almost half of the states? Literally, childcare is breaking the bank for the dual-income family. Why do families pay for such expensive care you ask? Well, there is no amount of money that can replace your child. Safety becomes job number one. People, especially moms, are willing to pay with blood, sweat and tears to keep their kids safe.

How do you know when your child is safe? Each state has a different set of licensing requirements and different enforcement efforts. This failure to standardize the level of safety in childcare institutions is making childcare dangerous in many parts of the country, where regulations are not in effect. Parents have so much to worry about: dangerous conditions of pedophile teachers, unsafe playgrounds, unsanitary conditions, the safety of our children, including from violence from other children, and so much more. In the past, bullying used to be when a big guy took your lunch money. Now bullying is a cyber campaign to destroy our reputation. Even worse, now we have rash or mentally-disturbed children who have brought automatic weapons to school to start a killing spree. It is very disturbing. The younger the child, the more we have to watch out for. For example, some people would take advantage of the inability of a child to vocalize an offense to them. It is just scary.

Parental involvement is mandatory to keep our children safe. Let everyone know you are close to your child and will find out what is going on at their school. For younger children, the unwanted pop-in visit is one of the best ways to find out just how well your child is being cared for. We have seen so many cases of hurt children on bad playground equipment and dangerous conditions that we feel it is important to always inspect where our child will learn and play. Do not subject your child to any unnecessary dangers!

You have worked hard throughout your professional career building your estate. Perhaps you worked two or three jobs all your life or maybe you inherited your fortune. Nevertheless, you should be very careful when proceeding to design an estate plan in case of your death. Two major considerations that need to be addressed in unison are estate taxes and providing for your children. The primary question is, “How will you disburse your assets to your children and what is the best way to save on estate taxes so your children can inherit more of your assets.”
There are various vehicles that can get you where you want to go with respect to saving estate taxes and distributing an estate to your preferred beneficiaries. Establishing an irrevocable trust for your estate is one of the more popular choices.
Assets transferred and titled to the irrevocable trust for the benefit of children are generally exempt from probate proceedings. There are a number of benefits to establishing an irrevocable trust. A trust, unlike a will, is a private document that will keep your distribution plans confidential. Your family will not have to incur unnecessary costs that arise during probate proceedings when a trust is administered. A trust can save you money on estate taxes when designed properly by an experienced Estate Planning attorney. The property that is in the trust will pass automatically to beneficiaries instead of suffering through a long probate proceeding. In essence, a properly designed trust is an effective way to protect your estate from creditors, keep your intentions private and achieve your desired results of tax planning and post-death estate disbursements.

With millions of baby boomers retired and another 10,000 entering the ranks every day baby boomers need to evaluate the Social Security Disability. Many boomers who were laid off in the recession took early retirement at 62 instead of waiting till full retirement at 66. The decision to take early retirement will lead to financial consequences that will impact the person that took early retirement and their spouse for decades to come. That is because when you decide to take early retirement you receive a smaller monthly check for the rest of your life. Baby boomers who have not reached the full retirement age of 66 and who suffer from either a physical or mental disability need to consider SSD. Social Security makes it easier for older Americans to be deemed disabled. So if you are unable to work and believe that you are disabled, don’t short change yourself and take early retirement, apply for disability and receive what you are entitled to.

I recently read that Playboy founder Hugh Hefner has finally married the woman of his dreams, 26-year-old Crystal Harris. At age 86, one would wonder how or why he would do this. The why part is up to other Internet blogs. The how is quite easy. However, I'm willing to bet you he had a stable of lawyers put together a foot thick prenuptial agreement. Rumor has it that this agreement even includes provisions for her leaving the mansion when he passes away. Such provisions are very common with marriages that involve parties that have acquired their own set of assets. Protecting those assets is paramount to most persons.

In fact, it can even be said that prenuptial agreements are a necessary part of our society. Properly drafted and correctly executed, prenuptial agreements are enforceable in every state. Florida has a specific set of laws found at Florida statute 61.079, et. seq., commonly known as Florida's Uniform Premarital Agreement Act. Trying to read this statute and draft your own prenuptial agreement is tantamount to buying a book on surgery and hoping you get it right at the end. Statutes change with time, forms found on the Internet usually don't. Having an experienced family law lawyer review your family history, assets and liabilities, and your desires at the point in time when you pass away are all equally important in planning such a document. Trying to use yesterday's forms to deal with today's problems is a mistake many people regret down the road. Too often times they realize they failed to address important issues that come back to bite them when the agreement needs to be enforced.