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Oast & Hook is Hook Law Center
Estate Planning
- Be aware of the details on required minimum distributions
- How to transfer property to a living trust
- Address these essential elements of retirement planning
- Department of Defense Rolls Out a New Retirement Plan
- The Effect of Divorce on Your Estate Plan
- How net investment income can affect tax planning
- Net gifts can be used to reduce gift tax rate
- Andrew Hook talks to Stretcher about revocable living trusts
- What you should know if you inherit your parent’s home
- How working after retirement affects Social Security
- You can insulate your retirement plan from government policy changes through tax diversification
- Early retirees may need alternative withdrawal strategies
- How to deal with an early retirement that was not planned
- Transportation is an often overlooked but crucial aspect of retirement planning
- A retirement savings account can include health savings accounts
- What men can learn from women about saving for retirement
- The new reverse mortgage rules: Are they right for your retirement plan?
- The new reverse mortgage rules: Are they right for your retirement plan?
- Protecting your digital assets
- Naturally occurring retirement communities are a popular choice
- Millennials and retirement
- Strategies to make sure your retirement savings last
- How divorce affects retirement planning
- Defining common terms in Virginia estate planning
- What you should know about myRA accounts
- Increasing number of American retirees affected by student loans
- How your life insurance policy can pay for long-term care expenses
- The effect of procrastination and debt on retirement planning
- Avoiding retirement planning pitfalls
- Seniors and their families should apply good judgment in considering nursing home placement services
- To help prevent elder abuse, address caregiver stress as it emerges
- How to make homes safer for seniors
- Eye and smell tests may make early detection of Alzheimer's possible
- Seniors may qualify for Medicaid by spending down assets safely
- Facts to know about Medicare and retirement
- Advance Medical Directives Need Easy Accessibility
- Continuing Care Retirement Communities Offer One Option for Retirees
- What Are Pooled Special Needs Trusts?
- How to Prevent Identity Theft with Your Medicare ID Card
- Elder advocacy group urges Congress to help seniors in 2014
- Four Legal Documents for Managing an Incapacitated Parent's Affairs
- Companies to Rehire Boomers as Post-Retirement Consultants
- Parents of Special Needs Children Report Reduced Services, Increased Class Sizes Following Budget Cuts
- Choosing Between Single-Life and Joint Pension: Is “Pension Maximization” as Good as It Sounds?
- Planned Virginia Beach Housing Development for the Disabled Sparks Controversy
- Diversify Retirement Savings Beyond Pensions
- Following DOMA Ruling, Social Security Administration Begins Processing Applications for Same-Sex Couples
- Cross-Country Cyclists Raise Awareness for Special-Needs Children
- Social Security Financial Outlook Report Forecasts Trust Fund Depletion
- Retirement Planning Falls Into Five Phases
- Steps to Take in Resolving a Dispute with a Nursing Home
- Study Finds Similar Gene Variations in African-American and Caucasian Alzheimer's Patients
- Estate Planning Basics
- New Year, New Tax Rates- Is Your Estate Protected?
- How to Approach Your Parents About Their Estate Plan
- Women and Estate Planning
- In Case of An Emergency
- Advance Medical Directives
- What are the Benefits of Funeral and Burial Pre-Planning
- What is Estate Planning?
- New Developments in the Estate Tax Law, Are You Affected?
- Pet Trusts
- Legacy Letters and Ethical Wills
Investments
- Net gifts can be used to reduce gift tax rate
- Learn the facts about passive index funds
Long-Term Care
- Premiums for long-term care insurance can be a tax deduction
- Planning for Small Business Owners Is Critically Important
- Help may be needed in deciding on senior housing
- Learn what government benefits are available to help pay for long-term care
- How and why seniors should stay socially engaged
- Early retirees may need alternative withdrawal strategies
- Understanding the stages of Alzheimer’s
- Transportation is an often overlooked but crucial aspect of retirement planning
- How caregivers can deal with behavioral changes of loved ones with dementia
- Financial elder abuse may be fastest growing type of crime in U.S.
- How caregivers can deal with behavioral changes of loved ones with dementia
- A retirement savings account can include health savings accounts
- The new reverse mortgage rules: Are they right for your retirement plan?
- Options for Paying for Assisted Living
- Protecting your digital assets
- Naturally occurring retirement communities are a popular choice
- How divorce affects retirement planning
- Choosing between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage
- Smart homes for seniors
- Innovative Alzheimer's “village” could be a model for the U.S.
- What you should know about Roth accounts and retirement planning
- Increasing number of American retirees affected by student loans
- Many employers provide back-up elder care
- How your life insurance policy can pay for long-term care expenses
- Study supports doctor-led approach to end-of-life care planning
- Reducing caregiver stress helps prevent elder abuse
- What is covered by Medicare in a skilled nursing facility?
- Seniors and their families should apply good judgment in considering nursing home placement services
- Older people without children may wish to designate a caregiver
- Eye and smell tests may make early detection of Alzheimer's possible
- Facts to know about Medicare and retirement
- Advance Medical Directives Need Easy Accessibility
- Continuing Care Retirement Communities Offer One Option for Retirees
- Does Your Long-Term Care Insurance Permit You to Hire Home Caregivers Directly?
- What Are Pooled Special Needs Trusts?
- Elder advocacy group urges Congress to help seniors in 2014
- Four Legal Documents for Managing an Incapacitated Parent's Affairs
- Planned Virginia Beach Housing Development for the Disabled Sparks Controversy
- Following DOMA Ruling, Social Security Administration Begins Processing Applications for Same-Sex Couples
- Alzheimer's Less Prevalent Among Those Who Retire Later, Study Shows
- Social Security Financial Outlook Report Forecasts Trust Fund Depletion
- Steps to Take in Resolving a Dispute with a Nursing Home
- Study Finds Similar Gene Variations in African-American and Caucasian Alzheimer's Patients
- Americans Support Raising Taxes to Protect Social Security
- Are Granny Pods The Future of Elder Care?
- Long-Distance Caregiving
- Training for Elder Care Now Going High-Tech
- Stimulus Payments for Seniors and Persons with Disabilities
- Adult Day Care Question
Medicaid
- What is the Medicare donut hole?
- Learn what government benefits are available to help pay for long-term care
- Spending down Medicaid assets safely
- How to spend down Medicaid assets (safely)
- Choosing between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage
- How to appeal a Medicare denial
- Seniors may qualify for Medicaid by spending down assets safely
- Facts to know about Medicare and retirement
- Advance Medical Directives Need Easy Accessibility
- Continuing Care Retirement Communities Offer One Option for Retirees
- First-party and third-party special needs trusts protect benefit eligibility
- Elder advocacy group urges Congress to help seniors in 2014
- Medicaid Rule Change Strengthens Home- and Community-Based Care
- Diversify Retirement Savings Beyond Pensions
- Parents and Private Organizations Bridge Funding Gap for Playgrounds for Special-Needs Children
- Cross-Country Cyclists Raise Awareness for Special-Needs Children
- Social Security Financial Outlook Report Forecasts Trust Fund Depletion
- What is Medicare Advantage?
- Americans Support Raising Taxes to Protect Social Security
- Long-Distance Caregiving
- Stimulus Payments for Seniors and Persons with Disabilities
- Adult Day Care Question
Newsletter
- Planning to Transition a Small or Family-Owned Business
- Protecting Personal Injury Settlements with Trusts
- What to Expect When Qualifying As an Executor or Administrator of an Estate
- Don't Forget Fluffy and Fido When Creating Your Estate Plan!
- Financial Advice for an Unstable Market
- Is Your Estate Plan COVID-19 Ready?
- Electronic Notarization Insufficient for Execution of Wills
- Beware of Real Estate Deed Solicitation Scams
- 7 Common Probate Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
- The CARES Act and Public Benefits
- Protecting an Inheritance from Divorce
- Dementia and Driving
- Cold or Flu – How to Tell the Difference
- Tax Rates Affected by New Tax Law
- The Problems Associated with Joint Bank Accounts
- With Tax Time Fast Approaching
- Avoiding Common Investment Mistakes
- Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017
- Medical Expense Deduction Spared
- IRVING v. DIVITO: BEWARE OF HOMEMADE ESTATE PLANNING DOCUMENTS
- Death & Procedure:
- Home for the Holidays: Conversations for Every Stage of Life
- What Just Happened?
- Buyer Beware: The Dangers of Do-it-Yourself Estate Planning
- Protecting Assets When A Spouse Enters A Nursing Home
- Can You Be Held Personally Liable for Your Parent’s Long-Term Care in Virginia?
- Avoiding Guardianship/Conservatorship
- Planning for Death the Swedish Way
- New Medicare Cards Coming Soon
- Protecting Public Benefits from Child Support Payments
- Assuring an Inheritance for your Heirs
- Myths about Public Benefits
- The Equifax Data Breach: Take This One Step Now
- Palliative Care and Hospice: Quality of Life for Patients with Serious Illness
- Exercise & Foreign Language
- The VA Choice Program
- Preventing Dementia and Cognitive Decline
- Beware of Public Benefits: The Cautionary Tale of Overpayments
- The Importance of Re-evaluating Your Estate Plan
- Is Game of Thrones A Victory for Disability Rights?
- Spotlight on: Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia
- IRS Grants Extension for Portability Purposes
- SENTARA PACE – Adult Day Care
- Blended Families: Why Pre- or Post-Marital Planning is So Vital
- Refuse Care At Your Own Risk
- Use this Tool to Prevent Financial Exploitation and Identity Theft
- Breach of Fiduciary Duties under a Power of Attorney
- World Elder Abuse Awareness Day
- What Do You Mean Electronic Will?
- Virginia’s New Access to Digital Assets Act
- The Role of an Elder Law Attorney in Personal Injury Actions
- The New Elective Share Law Adds a Layer of Complexity for Planning for Long-Term Care
- Are the New Proposed Tax Cuts Something You Should Be Concerned About?
- Top Scams Targeting Seniors – And How to Avoid Them
- Selling Real Property to Satisfy the Debts of a Decedent
- Early Signs of Dementia and What to Do About Them
- Healthy Aging in Hampton Roads: The Future Looks Bright!
- Why You Need an Elder Law Attorney
- Medicare Actively Expanding MSP Compliance for Personal Injury Claimants
- Predators and Creditors: How to Protect Your Family
- Events That Inspire Estate Planning
- Beware Hospital “Outpatient” Observation Status
- Exceptions to Medicaid Estate Recovery
- Issues to Consider when Your Child Goes off to College
- Commonly Overlooked Tools for Incapacity Planning
- Will Medicaid Take My House?
- Maximizing Your Child’s SSI by Utilizing ABLE Accounts
- Intra-Family Conflict After Death – It’s Expensive
- Do You Need to Revisit Your Estate Plan in 2017? The Answer is Probably “Yes.”
- The 65-Day Rule: What Every Trustee Should Know about Taxes
- ABLE Accounts Open in Virginia
- Special Needs Trust Fairness Act Passes Congress
- Problematic Proposed Regulations May Harm Family Businesses If Left Unaddressed
- Decanting an Irrevocable Trust to Protect Public Benefit Eligibility
- ‘Tis the Season…for hospital admissions and long-term care planning!
- Life-Saving Tech Tip for Cell Phone Users
- What President-Elect Trump and the Republican Party have in Store for You: Estate, Gift and Generation Skipping Transfer Taxes
- State Tax Credit Can Help With Home Improvement Costs
- Establishing Retroactive Survivor Benefit Plan Payments (SBP) for a Dependent Child
- Asset Protection in Virginia: What can I do that won’t break the bank?
- What is the Medicare donut hole?
Public Benefits
- Early retirees may need alternative withdrawal strategies
- How to deal with an early retirement that was not planned
- Choosing between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage
- How to appeal a Medicare denial
- Continuing Care Retirement Communities Offer One Option for Retirees
- Elder advocacy group urges Congress to help seniors in 2014
- Parents and Private Organizations Bridge Funding Gap for Playgrounds for Special-Needs Children
- Following DOMA Ruling, Social Security Administration Begins Processing Applications for Same-Sex Couples
- Establishing Your Correct Medicare Premium
Senior Law News
- What is a Trust Anyway?
- Tax Changes are Coming. Is Your Estate Plan Ready?
- Elder Law Related Updates in 2020
- The Importance of Updating Beneficiary Designations
- Stimulus Payments Belong to Recipient, Not Nursing Homes or Care Facilities
- Financial Planning During a Pandemic: What does the CARES Act Mean for You and Your Goals?
- You Need an Estate Plan, but PLEASE Don’t Do It Yourself
- Now is the Time to Create or Review Your Estate Plan
- COVID-19 UPDATE from Hook Law Center
- Preying on Our Nation's Seniors
- Little Known Changes in Medicare Payments to Providers May Result in Less Patient Care
- Financial Planning Ideas after the SECURE Act
- Selecting an Elder Law Attorney
- What to Do When Your Parent is in the "Gray Zone"
- Can a Lengthy Probate be Avoided
- A New Look at Charitable Giving in the Age of SECURE
- Are You Ready for REAL ID?
- Why Funding Your Trust is So Important
- Nursing Home Preadmission Screenings
- More Than a Form: Analyzing the Power of Attorney
- Year-End Tax Planning Ideas
- Important Update: SECURE Act 2019
- How to Cope With End-Stage Dementia
- Crowdfunding and Public Benefits: GoFundMe Campaigns May be Detrimental in the Long Term
- How Tech Can Help Your Career When You're Living with a Disability
- Medigap or Medicare Part C: What's the Difference?
- Avoiding IRS Scams
- Assuming Roles of Trustee and Power of Attorney
- The Effect of Annuities on Long-Term Care Plans
- What Happens to My Online Accounts After I Die?
- Impeaching Wills
- Is That Really Enough to Retire?
- Financial Education VS. Financial Psychology: Which One Has a Greater Impact on Financial Behavior?
- Virginia Tax Relief Refund
- Administration of Small or Insolvent Estates
- When to Update Estate Planning Documents
- Crisis of Care and Larger Crisis in the Workforce
- How Your Tax Debt May Impact Your Passport
- Changes Coming to TSP Withdrawal Options on Sept. 15, 2019
- Parents May Use FMLA to Attend an IEP Meeting
- Estate Planning for Unmarried Couples
- Is Diet the Fountain of Youth?
- Still Waiting On Your Tax Refund?
- Using Accountable Plans to Replace Lost Miscellaneous Itemized Deductions
- Parents May Now Delegate Care Authority of a Child
- How To Be An Advocate For a Loved One In a Nursing Home
- Family Gifts and Loans: Are They a Good Idea?
- What You Need to Know About an Offer in Compromise
- Can I Really Use My IRA to Pay For Long-Term Care Insurance?
- Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Networks (MISSION) Act Goes into Effect
- How to Provide for Your Pets After You're Gone
- The End of the Stretch IRA?
- What You Need to Know About IRS Form 8379 - Injured Spouse Allocation
- Deciding When to Take Social Security Benefits
- HUD Releases ABLE Account Guidance
- How to Cope with the Early Stages of Dementia
- Fraud, Scams, & Dementia
- Filing Status for Years After Spouse's Death
- Why Informed Decision-Making for Retirement Income Is So Important
- Due Process Rights in Guardianship Proceedings
- I am named as Executor in a Will - Am I Required to Serve?
- What Do You Mean Medicare Won't Pay?
- Where is My Tax Refund?
- Medicare Enrollment - Doing It Wrong Could Cost You!
- Advocating Against the Nursing Home Discharge
- What is the difference between a Living Will and a "Do Not Resuscitate" Order?
- Protecting a Spouse Remaining in the Community
- The Dangers of Doing it Yourself
- Estate Planning After Tax Reform
- Should I Have a Will or a Trust?
- How to Navigate Life as a "Solo Senior"
- Reminder to Follow My Own Advice
- Tips For Paying Off That Holiday Debt
- No! You Cannot Disinherit Your Spouse.
- Don't Become a Victim of the "Grandparent Scam"
- Estate Planning with IRA's and Retirement Plans: Pitfalls and Opportunities
- Will People With Disabilities Be Forced Into Nursing Homes?
- Working Grandparents Raising Grandchildren May Qualify for EITC
- Beware of Arbitration Clauses in Nursing Home Admission Contracts
- Purchasing a Pre-Paid Funeral Plan is An Important Part of a Well-Rounded Estate Plan
- Guns and Dementia
- 4th Quarter Review of Estimated Taxes
- Do You Have To Name a Virginia Resident as the Executor of Your Will?
- Dept. of Veterans Affairs Publishes Final Rule for Needs-Based Benefits: Deductible Medical Expenses
- Dept. of Veterans Affairs Publishes Final Rule for Needs-Based Benefits: Net Worth and Transfer Rules
- Dept. of Veterans Affairs Publishes Final Rule for Needs-Based Benefits: General Overview
- Making the Transition to a Long-Term Care Facility
- Financial Industry Issues New Rules to Protect The Elderly
- Why You Need an Estate Administration Attorney After the Death of a Loved One
- Stop Procrastinating. It's Time To Make A Plan!
- To Shred or Not To Shred?
- Should I Transfer My House To My Kids?
- Will You Outlive Your Nest Egg?
- Unexpectedly Disinherited?
- IRS Announces Refunds and Credits for Some Veterans
- Anxiety and Dementia
- Think Before You Liquidate That IRA
- New Changes to 529 Plans
- When it's Time to Hang up the Keys - and How to Have That Difficult Discussion
- Elder Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation, Part Three: What Can You Do?
- Executor or Trustee of a Family Member's Estate or Trust? Be careful.
- Older Adults and Romance
- New Guidance for Special Needs Trusts
- I am a Beneficiary of an Estate - Why Did I Receive a Schedule K-1?
- The Importance of Good Recordkeeping - and Which Documents to Keep
- Elder Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation, Part Two: What to Watch For and What is Being Done to Combat the Problem
- Should you add your child to the title of your real property?
- Penalty Periods and the 5-Year Lookback: Some Good News
- April 17th Marks the Tax Deadline! Have You Filed Your Return?
- Administration of Small or Insolvent Estates
- The Surprising Things Medicaid Won't Pay For
- Elder Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation, Part One: What is it and Can it Happen to You?
- Complications of Owning Real Property in Multiple States
- Penny Wise but Pound Foolish
- Determining How Much of Your Social Security Benefits are Taxable
- AMBROSIO V. WOLF: A Will Contest Cannot be Brought Until After the Testator has Died
- Using Person-First Language to Communicate With and About People with Special Needs
- Musings on Financial Aid
- Cruising through Caregiving – Book Review
- Planning for Small Business Owners Is Critically Important
- Protecting Seniors From Isolation
- New Changes Coming for Family-Owned Businesses
- Protect Yourself from Identity Theft & Credit Card Fraud
- Home Upgrades to Help Aging in Place
- Recent Court Ruling Creates Difficulty Obtaining Documents from Nursing Facilities
- Understanding a Resident’s Transfer and Discharge Rights under the Nursing Home Reform Act
- What personal representatives of estates need to know
- Help may be needed in deciding on senior housing
- How caregivers can deal with behavioral changes of loved ones with dementia
- Financial elder abuse may be fastest growing type of crime in U.S.
- How caregivers can deal with behavioral changes of loved ones with dementia
- Financial elder abuse may be fastest growing type of crime in U.S.
- Spending down Medicaid assets safely
- How to spend down Medicaid assets (safely)
- Options for Paying for Assisted Living
- Naturally occurring retirement communities are a popular choice
- Strategies to make sure your retirement savings last
- How divorce affects retirement planning
- Choosing between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage
- Smart homes for seniors
- Aid and Attendance benefit can help veterans who need long-term care
- Older people without children may wish to designate a caregiver
- Does Your Long-Term Care Insurance Permit You to Hire Home Caregivers Directly?
- How to Prevent Identity Theft with Your Medicare ID Card
- Elder advocacy group urges Congress to help seniors in 2014
- Planned Virginia Beach Housing Development for the Disabled Sparks Controversy
- Diversify Retirement Savings Beyond Pensions
- Following DOMA Ruling, Social Security Administration Begins Processing Applications for Same-Sex Couples
- Alzheimer's Less Prevalent Among Those Who Retire Later, Study Shows
- Steps to Take in Resolving a Dispute with a Nursing Home
- Study Finds Similar Gene Variations in African-American and Caucasian Alzheimer's Patients
- Americans Support Raising Taxes to Protect Social Security
- Seniors Part of Study To Improve Cognitive Skills
- A Call for Virginia Salute to Senior Service Volunteer Nominations
- Virginia Has Authorized Programs in Anticipation of the Graying of the State
- Identity Theft Targeting the Elderly Is on the Rise
- Elder Care Research Gaining Traction
- Choosing Guardianship for Your Child
- Seniors and Driving
Uncategorized
- Do You Need to Qualify on an Estate to Transfer Ownership in Real Property?
- Beware of COVID-19 Scams
- Breaking News - Stimulus Checks to a Deceased Individual Must Be Returned
- Breaking News - Change In Tax Filing Deadline
Veterans' Benefits
- Aid and Attendance benefit can help veterans who need long-term care
- Bill would fund Hampton Roads veteran care center
- In 12 Months, VA's Disability Claims Backlog Falls 44 Percent
- VA Expands Disability Coverage to Illnesses Related to Brain Injury
- VA Reports Big Reductions in Backlog of Benefits Claims
- VA Announces Retroactive Disability Benefits for Some Claimants
- VA Initiative Promotes the Use of Fully Developed Claims
- VA's Computer Processing Speeds Assistance to Post-9/11 GI Bill Beneficiaries
- Benefit for Veterans With No Service Connected Disability
- Benefit for Veterans With No Service Connected Disability

Hook Law Center membership logos

Members of the Special Needs Alliance

We are a member of the Special Needs Alliance (SNA), a by invitation only national network of attorneys serving disabled persons and their families.

As members of the alliance, Hook Law Center works with personal injury lawyers to resolve cases, enhancing judgments and awards for disabled clients while maintaining eligibility for Supplemental Security Income, Medicaid and Medicare benefits. In addition, Hook Law Center can assist with Veterans disability pensions, Supplemental Needs Trusts, and provide planning and care management, including bill paying, account management and reporting services.