A living will: an important but often overlooked estate planning document When most people think of estate planning, they think of preparing a document like a will or perhaps a trust. However, when considering their estate plan, many people fail to plan for the possibility that they may be unable to communicate with their doctors about the care that they wish to receive. It is therefore important that Pennsylvania residents consider including an advance health care declaration among their estate planning documents. What is an advance health care declaration? An ...

Some public benefits impact SSDI amounts Being disabled and unable to earn a living wage can be discouraging. New Jersey residents who are receiving payments from Social Security Disability Insurance rely on these benefits for the necessities of day-to-day life. Anything that might reduce the amount of SSDI benefits is a matter for concern. Benefits may be affected by other payments Recipients of SSDI need to be aware that the amount of SSDI benefits they receive could be diminished if they are receiving benefits from another source. People who are receiving Supplemental ...

Appealing a claim for disability People in New Jersey who live with disabilities may be eligible for financial assistance from the federal Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income programs. Receiving assistance is not automatic, and for some people it can be a long road. What to do when a claim is denied The first step in obtaining help from SSDI or SSI is to file a claim. The Social Security Administration will decide whether or not to grant benefits and will inform the claimant by mail. The letter will explain reasons for denying a ...

Credit scores and getting out of debt Millions of people use credit cards every day for a variety of purchases such as groceries, clothing and entertainment, and many of them are struggling with credit card debt. That debt can greatly affect people's credit scores to an extent that they may not be aware. Surprising behaviors thataffect credit scores Credit scores fluctuate more than one would think. VantageScore Solutions reports that about 70 percent of credit scores can change, up or down, by about 20 points during a 90-day time span. In fact, consumers may be ...

The division of property in a divorce Many people going through a divorce have questions about how property will be divided between spouses. How property is divided during a person's divorce depends on a number of factors that are unique to each person's situation. Although going through a divorce is an emotionally difficult time, knowing what to expect in terms of property division can help ease some of the anxiety. In some cases, people who are getting a divorce are able to do so amicably, and issues of property division can be decided between the spouses. In other ...

Wisconsin man killed in motorcycle accident Recently, a man from Milwaukee was killed when a car hit his motorcycle in Washington County. The man was only 27 years old. He died in the hospital. The driver that hit him left the crash uninjured. There were 4,502 motorcyclists killed in 2010, and 82,000 more were injured in accidents. There are many things motorcyclists can do to stay safe on the road, but drivers need to do their part as well to make sure they are looking out for motorcyclists and sharing the road. Motorcyclists travel fewest miles but have high ...

Milwaukee County installing LED signs on highways Wisconsin residents in Milwaukee County saw an average of 33 occurrences of wrong-way driving per year from 2006 to 2012. Accidents resulting from these events are needless and unnecessary. They are also very dangerous because cars are heading straight at each other head-on at high speeds. The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office, along with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, is trying to prevent these types of accidents by adding LED warnings signs and real-time notification alerts to the county's roadways. Blinking ...

The Impact of a Medical Safety Device System The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently developed a safety system that will eventually place a label with a unique identification number on every medical device coming into the market. This procedure holds promise to revamp the current system and create a much more efficient process for both patients and health care providers should those medical devices malfunction or otherwise harm patients. New Medical Device Identification System In addition to the product's batch and serial number, the new label will also ...

Planning for nursing home and long-term care According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, anyone aged 65 or older will have a 40 percent chance of needing nursing home care. Medicare estimates that over 12 million Americans will need some form of long-term care by 2020. The baby boomer generation is approaching the time when many A Metlife survey found that the average daily rate nationwide is an astounding $248 for a single bed. A semi-private room is not significantly lower at $222 per month. Assisted living facilities are also expensive, costing ...

What Colorado drivers should know about DUI Colorado motorists who consume alcohol before driving may find themselves under the scrutiny of law enforcement. Once apprehended, persons suspected of DUI face administrative and criminal penalties if they are found guilty. What police look for Colorado State Patrol officers are trained to watch for signs that a driver may be legally impaired by alcohol or drugs. Officers are likely to pull a vehicle over if they observe any of these maneuvers: -drifting across lanes or crowding the center line -swerving or weaving ...

Traumatic Brain Injuries and Car Accidents A traumatic brain injury, also known as TBI, can dramatically change one's life. Daily operations and activities can become difficult, and sometimes the TBI may cause a drastic change in lifestyle. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1.7 million people suffer traumatic brain injuries every year, most of them caused by car accidents. Traumatic Brain Injuries There are two types of TBI. The first is a closed TBI, which occurs when the brain comes into contact with the skull with an extreme ...

Garbage truck causes crash in Colorado Four cars were involved in a collision at the intersection of Highway 85 and O Street in Greeley, Colorado. One of the vehicles involved was a garbage truck. The garbage truck slid off the road and went through the guard rail. The driver of the truck was stuck in the cab of the vehicle. The vehicle had to be stabilized, and firefighters had to cut through the windshield in order to get the driver out. To make matters worse, the backside of one of the cars involved was crushed under the garbage truck. Two children and one adult ...

Relocating After a Child Custody Case in Pennsylvania Divorce brings many changes to people's lives. People often find it makes more sense for them to relocate after a divorce, whether it is for a new job opportunity, to be closer to family or because of financial constraints. Moving can become a complicated issue when there are children involved and the court has issued a custody and visitation order along with the divorce decree, however. Pennsylvania passed a law in 2011 creating a procedure that custodial parents wishing to move with their children need to follow ...

Foreclosures create problems for older New Yorkers Although many feel that the housing market has taken a turn for the better, the number of foreclosures is actually starting to climb again. With this issue most drastically affecting older generations, it is proving to be a reason for concern moving into the future, even in Monroe. Home ownership no longer guarantees financial security later in life, and many older Americans are learning this lesson the hard way. One 57-year-old woman featured in a recent Huffington Post article about foreclosures on older Americans ...

Foreclosure predictions in New York With foreclosure filings falling in July of 2012 for the 22nd month in a row, the housing market appears to have taken a turn for the better. RealtyTrac found that in July, the filings were down 10 percent from the same month last year. Although this information is encouraging, some experts remain skeptical based on a deeper dive into the numbers. The earliest stage of foreclosure has actually risen six percent on a year-over-year basis. July saw the third straight month for this increase. This latest wave of foreclosures has come ...

Green building construction poses higher risk of defects litigation Green construction projects such as wind turbines, LEED certified buildings and a host of other green ventures are becoming more commonplace. According to the Dodge Construction Green Outlook report, created by McGraw-Hill Construction, this trend will continue in the next several years. The report predicts that green home construction and renovation will account for almost 40 percent of the industry in 2016. For green commercial construction, the outlook is even better, and green construction is expected ...

Minnesota forms task force to review state's civil commitment programs This fall, a new 15-member panel met for the first time to review Minnesota's civil commitment programs. Now, the Sex Offender Civil Commitment Task Force has issued its initial report to Human Services Commissioner Lucinda Jesson with recommendations on how to improve the state's civil commitment programs. The need for a civil commitment task force The task force was created after the state's civil commitment policies were challenged by a class-action lawsuit that claimed the state's policies ...

Warm weather is a mixed blessing for motorcyclists Nebraska motorcycle riders certainly enjoy those extra days of riding that come with milder autumns, springs and winters. Unfortunately, along with longer stretches of good riding weather come a rise in motorcycle accident fatalities. Motorcycle death total surpasses past year As of early October 2012, 23 people had died on Nebraska roads in motorcycle accidents. The latest was a man whose bike collided with a deer in Washington County on U.S. Highway 75. With almost a quarter of the year to go, the death toll ...

Bill aims to extend federal copyright protection to fashion designs For artists and creative professionals, copyrights are invaluable tools. Copyrights protect original intellectual works -- like songs, literature, drama or art -- from unauthorized use or reproduction. If a copyright is infringed, the holder can sue for damages. Copyright protection is automatic and starts at the time the work is created. Not every creative work qualifies for copyright protection, however. Fashion designers, for example, aren't allowed to copyright their clothing designs. If another ...

Zynga leak highlights need to protect trade secrets At any business, a certain amount of turnover is a fact of life. Good employees will leave the company, either to start their own venture or to take a better opportunity elsewhere. When this happens, it is crucial for the business to take steps to protect its trade secrets. An example of the importance of protecting trade secrets can be found in a recent lawsuit involving California-based social game developer Zynga. It is suing one of its former general managers, claiming that he misappropriated sensitive information ...

More Innocent Spouses to Get Tax Relief from IRS In many families, one of the spouses is responsible for handling the finances. One spouse may do all of the work filling out a joint tax return for the spouses and the other party signs it, trusting that his or her spouse calculated everything correctly. However, some people improperly complete tax returns, either intentionally or inadvertently, and they end up paying less in taxes than they would have owed, had they done everything as they should have. In such cases, the spouse who did not fill out the tax return may ...

Advantages of creating a living trust in New Jersey New Jersey residents may wonder if designing a living trust is worth the cost and effort. New Jersey estate planning normally involves creation of a will. A will may or may not create a trust at the time of death. People usually create a revocable trust, also called a living trust, in order to avoid probate. The probate process involves determining if a will is properly executed and appointing an executor to act on behalf of the estate. A living trust is created during the lifetime of the beneficiary, as opposed ...

Avoid Common Mistakes When Telling Children About Divorce Making the decision to divorce is rarely easy, particularly when there are children involved. Many parents struggle with how to discuss divorce with their children, wondering what the best way to tell the children is and how children will handle the news. Parents going through a divorce should be aware of some of the mistakes parents often make when talking about divorce with children so they can avoid making those errors. Not Telling Children Together Experts agree that it is important for parents to tell ...

The Financial Implications of Legal Separation and Divorce in New York Sometimes when a couple is having trouble in their marriage, they may choose to legally separate rather than get a divorce. When a couple legally separates, they remain married but live apart as though divorced. People choose legal separation over divorce for a variety reasons. Some people use legal separation as a trial period to see if they really want to divorce. Other couples may choose separation because their religious beliefs or family upbringing forbid divorce, while still others do so because ...

Combat-related brain injury symptoms may last years, study finds Concussions and other traumatic brain injuries were once thought to resolve themselves on their own with little need for medical intervention. However, new research on the long-term effects of combat-related head trauma shows that, for many veterans, the symptoms of traumatic brain injury can persist for years with little improvement. What is traumatic brain injury? Traumatic brain injury, or TBI, occurs when a blow to the head causes interference with the normal functioning of the brain. Many TBIs ...