Upcoming Professional Seminars

Asset Protection for Veterans Aid & Attendance

Date: Wednesday, December 4. 2024

Time: 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Elder Law and Asset Protection Essentials 

Step-by-Step Guide to Drafting Wills and Trusts in Virginia

Registration link coming soon.

Format: 6-hour Live Webinar

Date: Wednesday, May 21, 2025.

Offered by NBI.

Evan Farr will speak on the topic of ethics.

Schedule:

Key Elements of Effective Wills
9:00 – 10:00, Sarah L. McCurry

• • Establishing Statutory Framework
  • Types of Wills
  • Verifying and Documenting the Testator’s Competency
  • Beneficiary Designations in Retirement Plans and Life Insurance
  • Pension Distributions During and After Life
  • Titling Assets
  • Designating Fiduciaries
  • Planning for Disabled Children
  • Sample Will Verbiage
  • Sample Forms

Updating Will Documents
Trusts as Alternatives to Wills
10:15 – 11:15, Sarah L. McCurry

• • When to Recommend a Trust Over a Will
  • Types and Functions of Trusts
  • Selecting Trustee(s)
  • Choosing Trust Situs
  • Trust Funding Basics
  • Sample Forms

Basic Tax Concerns
11:15 – 12:15, Kimberly Turner

• • Get Updated on Changing Legislation and Case Law
  • Federal Estate and Gift Tax Update
  • Assess the Impact of the State Estate Tax
  • Individual Income Taxes – Issues You Need to Look At
  • Generation Skipping Transfer Tax – Recent Changes
  • Trust Taxation Basics
  • Disclaimer Trusts
  • Crummey Powers and the IRS
  • Frequently Asked Questions About Fiduciary Taxes
  • Tips for Calculating Tax Deductions
  • Why a Comparison to Neighboring States’ Taxes is Important

Documenting Long-Term Care, Incapacity, and End-of-Life Decisions
1:15 – 2:15, Caitlyn Bender & Elizabeth Gray

• • Basic Medicaid Planning
  • Long-Term Care Options and Planning in a Nutshell
  • Advance Medical Directives
  • Powers of Attorney
  • DNR Orders and Organ Donation Considerations

Planning for Unmarried and Remarried Couples
2:15 – 3:15, Jennifer Schiffer

• • Pre- and Post-Marital Agreements
  • Planning for Children From Previous Marriage(s)
  • Estate Planning for Same Sex Couples

Ethics
3:30 – 4:30, Evan Farr

• • Defining Who Your Client Is From the Start
  • Handling Clients With Diminishing Mental Capacity
  • Lawyers Acting as Fiduciaries
  • Practicing Before the IRS
  • Conflicts of Interest

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Past Seminars

Asset Protection Planning for Medicaid and Veterans Benefits

Live Video Broadcast

Date: Wednesday, October 16, 2024

Time: 11:00 am – 2:20 pm EST

Program Summary

As the population ages, planning for long-term care is becoming an increasingly critical issue for legal practitioners. This CLE webinar will provide attorneys with the essential knowledge and strategies needed to effectively guide clients through long-term care planning, with a special focus on Medicaid eligibility and asset protection planning.

Key topics to be discussed:

• Assessing clients’ needs – When to start?
• Five main ways to pay for long-term care
• Relevant federal statutes
• The Medicaid lookback period
• Uncompensated transfers and penalty periods
• Medicaid asset protection planning
• Medicaid eligibility criteria
• Medical eligibility
• Medicaid resource eligibility
• Veterans Aid and attendance benefits planning
• Where Medicare stops and Medicaid begins

Offered by: myLawCLE

Register here. 

Asset Protection for Veterans Aid & Attendance

Wednesday, December 4, 2024

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Offered through DC Bar by Webinar for MCLE Credit*

Credits: 1.0 general credit hour

Class Level: Basic

Description: Many elderly adults are unaware of the financial options available to help pay for senior living, including the valuable benefits the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Aid and Attendance program provides. For qualifying wartime veterans and their surviving spouses, this program provides crucial financial support to help offset the costs of long-term care for those needing assistance with daily living activities.

Join us for this new and informative class, which introduces you to the VA Aid and Attendance program and its financial eligibility requirements. Learn about effective asset protection strategies, including a comparison of Medicaid and VA approaches, to help your clients make the most of the benefits available to them. Our faculty expert also presents a real-world case study offering practical insights and addresses your questions and concerns.

Faculty: Evan H. Farr, Farr Law Firm PC

Cosponsors: None

Fees: $39 D.C. Bar Communities Members, $49 D.C. Bar Members, $59 Government and Nonprofit Attorneys, and $79 Others

Categories:

CLE: Elder, Family, Government, Health, Real Property, Trusts, Wills & Estates

Communities: Administrative Law & Agency Practice, District of Columbia Affairs, Early Career Lawyers, Estates, Trusts, and Probate Law, Family Law, Health Law, Public Interest & Courts, Real Estate, Housing, and Land Use

Register here.

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On-Demand Seminars

Estate and Medicaid Planning 2024 – NBI

6 Credit Hours Available

Recorded Wednesday, May 29, 2024

Program Description: 

Help Clients Plan for Long Term Care and Probate

A combined approach to planning for both elder care and the estate together is the only way to ensure the two plans don’t work against each other. This practical overview will give you actionable methods for qualifying for Medicaid while leveraging the best tax and estate administration planning. Draft better trusts and proxy documents and take all the clients’ assets into consideration. Register today!

• Get an update on the rules of Medicaid and the latest tax changes.
• Make the best use of POAs and guardianships to protect the rights of the elderly.
• Explore available Medicaid waiver programs that may allow your clients to maintain independence longer.
• Develop a concrete plan for estate administration and Medicaid recovery.

Who Should Attend
This legal course is designed for attorneys. Accountants, tax professionals, fiduciaries, financial planners, and paralegals will also benefit.

Course Content

• Proxies, Guardianships, Medical Decision-Making
• Medicaid LTC Programs, Eligibility Criteria, and Application Process
• Medicaid Asset Planning Tools
• Will and Trust Drafting (With Sample Provisions)
• Planning for Estate Administration and Recovery
• Tax Planning Essentials
• Legal Ethics of Estate and Medicaid Planning

Legal Ethics in Elder Law 2024 – NBI
Protect Aging Clients and Prevent Malpractice

1 Hour Ethics Credit

Recorded May 15, 2024.

Program Description:

As the population ages, legal practitioners must navigate unique ethical challenges related to capacity, guardianships, confidentiality, and more. Discuss the changing role of attorneys in representing aging clients and their fiduciaries, and gain insights into making legal services more accessible. Elevate your practice and strengthen your ethical foundation – register today!

• Clarify the ethical factors and practical methods for verifying the capacity of aging clients.
• Identify and address legal ethics Issues specific to adult guardianships.
• Balance your duty of confidentiality with the need to coordinate efforts with non-attorney members of the client’s care team.
• Recognize and mitigate top ethical dangers when representing fiduciaries in elder law.

Who Should Attend:
This legal course is designed for attorneys. Elder care professionals, guardians, trustees and other fiduciaries, and paralegals will also benefit.

Course Content:

• Who is the Client?
• Verifying Capacity
• Legal Ethics Issues in Tackling Adult Guardianships
• Access to Legal Services: Making Your Practice More Accessible
• Conflicts of Interest When Family Members and Caretakers are Involved
• Top Ethical Dangers When Representing Fiduciaries
• Guarding Aging Clients’ Confidentiality

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Medicaid Asset Protection – DC Bar – 2023

Credit(s): 3.5 General (50-minute hour) / 3 General (60-minute hour)
Course Number: E14230209D
Recorded: February 22, 2023

Program Description: Middle-class Americans cannot afford to ignore the costs of nursing homes and other long-term care, now typically exceeding $12,000 per month. Only 10-15% of Americans can afford and have long-term care insurance, and even that is not always adequate. For most, Medicaid is the primary source of payment, so a basic understanding of the Medicaid asset protection process is vital for attorneys who work with seniors and their families. This informative and wide-ranging class provides an overview of Medicaid asset protection concepts and strategies that estate planning and elder law attorneys in DC, Maryland, and Virginia use to help clients protect assets for themselves and their families while facilitating earlier Medicaid eligibility.

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Medicaid Planning and Funding for Long-Term Care: Eligibility Rules, Asset Protection Strategies, LTC Insurance – Strafford CLE

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Other Past Professional Seminars

Estate Planning for Military Veterans

Monday, October 7, 2024

Agenda

9:00 am – 4:00 pm CDT

• Planning for Veterans’ Dependents
  • Presented by: Mary Markovich
  • Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC)
  • Treatment of spouses and children
• Medicare, Medicaid and Veteran’s Affair Long-Term Care Benefits
  • Presented by: Terry Garrett
  • Medicare basics
  • Medicaid for long-term care
  • Interaction with VA medical benefits
• Asset Protection Planning for Medicaid and Veterans’ Benefits
  • Presented by: Evan Farr
  • Irrevocable Trusts for Medicaid and veterans planning
• Veterans’ Disability Compensation Benefits
  • Presented by: Edward M. Farmer
  • VA disability benefits
  • Application process
  • Coordination with other benefits
• Other Military Benefits
  • Presented by: Lila Quintiliani
  • Military pension planning
  • Disability benefits
  • Pension benefits
  • Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP)
  • Burial benefits/funeral honors
  • Education benefits for survivors
  • VA loan benefits

Medicaid Asset Protection 2024 – DC Bar

Sponsor: DC Bar Association

Credits: 3.0 Credit Hours​

Course Level: Intermediate

Program Description:

Middle-class Americans cannot afford to ignore the costs of nursing homes and other long-term care, now typically exceeding $12,000 per month.  Only 10-15 percent of Americans can afford and have long-term care insurance, and even that is not always adequate.  For most, Medicaid is the primary source of payment, so a basic understanding of the Medicaid asset protection process is vital for attorneys who work with seniors and their families.  This informative and wide-ranging class will provide an overview of Medicaid asset protection concepts and strategies that estate planning and elder law attorneys in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia use to help clients protect assets for themselves and their families while facilitating earlier Medicaid eligibility.

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Medicaid Asset Protection 2023 – DC Bar

Sponsor: DC Bar Association

Credits: 3.0 Credit Hours​

Course Level: Intermediate

Program Description:

Middle-class Americans cannot afford to ignore the costs of nursing homes and other long-term care, now typically exceeding $12,000 per month.  Only 10-15 percent of Americans can afford and have long-term care insurance, and even that is not always adequate.  For most, Medicaid is the primary source of payment, so a basic understanding of the Medicaid asset protection process is vital for attorneys who work with seniors and their families.  This informative and wide-ranging class will provide an overview of Medicaid asset protection concepts and strategies that estate planning and elder law attorneys in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia use to help clients protect assets for themselves and their families while facilitating earlier Medicaid eligibility.

Mastering Medicaid & Veterans Asset Protection Planning VAELA UnProgram 2022

Sponsor: Virginia Academy of Elder Law Attorneys:

Evan facilitated two sessions on this topic on Saturday, September 24, 2022, at the Virginia Academy of Elder Law Attorney’s 14th annual UnProgram.

Medicaid Asset Protection DC Bar 2022

Sponsor: DC Bar Association

Thursday, February 17, 2022

Time: 6:00 p.m. – 9:15 p.m.

Credits: 3.0 Credit Hours​

Course Level: Intermediate

Description: Middle-class Americans cannot afford to ignore the costs of nursing homes and other long-term care, now typically exceeding $12,000 per month.  Only 10-15 percent of Americans can afford and have long-term care insurance, and even that is not always adequate.  For most, Medicaid is the primary source of payment, so a basic understanding of the Medicaid asset protection process is vital for attorneys who work with seniors and their families.  This informative and wide-ranging class will provide an overview of Medicaid asset protection concepts and strategies that estate planning and elder law attorneys in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia use to help clients protect assets for themselves and their families while facilitating earlier Medicaid eligibility.

Faculty: Evan H. Farr, Farr Law Firm PC

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Alzheimer’s Foundation of America Educating America Tour – Washington, DC area

Date: October 6, 2020

Time: 11:15 am – 11:45

Description: Middle-class Americans cannot afford to ignore the costs of nursing homes and other long-term care, with the national average exceeding $100,000 per year. Only about 10 percent of Americans have long-term care insurance, and even that is not always adequate. For most, Medicaid is the primary source of payment for nursing home care, so this class, presented by one of the country’s top Elder Law experts, will provide a basic understanding of Medicaid asset protection and Medicaid asset protection trusts, which are topics vital for families who have a loved one suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

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VAELA UnProgram 2021

Issues and Problems When Funding Medicaid and Veterans Irrevocable Asset Protection Trusts

Sept. 23-25, 2021
Presented by Evan H. Farr, CELA
Williamsburg, VA

Medicaid Asset Protection DC Bar 2020

Presented by Evan H. Farr, CELA
March 18, 2020
6:00 PM – 9:15 PM

Credits: 3.0 Credit Hours

Description: Middle-class Americans cannot afford to ignore the costs of nursing home and other long-term care, now typically exceeding $12,000 per month. Only 10-15 percent of Americans can afford and have long term care insurance, and even that is not always adequate. For most, Medicaid is the primary source of payment, so a basic understanding of the Medicaid asset protection process is vital for attorneys who work with seniors and their families. This informative and wide-ranging class will provide an overview of Medicaid asset protection concepts and strategies that estate planning and elder law attorneys in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia use to help clients protect assets for themselves and their family while facilitating earlier Medicaid eligibility.

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Medicaid Nuts and Bolts Maryland State Bar Association 2019 

Presented by the Maryland State Bar Association October 2019.

Medical Assistance (MA)  and Veterans Affairs (VA) Planning Trusts
How to draft and implement trusts to preserve assets in the realm of Medicaid Assistance Long Term Care or Veterans Affairs (VA) Aid and Attendance.  
Evan Farr, CAP CELA

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Structuring Special Needs Trusts as IRA Beneficiaries: Avoiding Tax Traps in Funding SNTs With Retirement Accounts

A Strafford Live Webinar

Presenter: Evan H. Farr, Certified Elder Law Attorney

Tuesday, October 15, 1:00pm-2:30pm EDT.

Description:

A critical step in establishing a special needs trust (SNT) is determining how to fund the trust. Taxpayers may use some assets, including IRAs, to fund an SNT. There are, however, some critical issues that estate planners must navigate to ensure that the trust is structured to preserve public benefits and to provide for the special needs beneficiary in a tax-efficient manner.

Estate planners also have the option of utilizing ABLE accounts in conjunction with or as an alternative to SNTs. In structuring an estate plan to provide for a beneficiary with special needs, counsel must be mindful of contribution and funding rules and the impact of the trust structure on future public benefits.

We will provide estate planners with an advanced guide to drafting and structuring supplemental needs trusts and SNTs. The panel will focus on considerations such as setting up trusts to serve as beneficiaries of retirement accounts, drafting language, and traps to avoid in structuring third-party SNTs as well as first-party SNTs.

We will review these and other critical issues:

• How to structure beneficiary designations within the conduit trust rules;
• Funding options and requirements of IRAs and other retirement accounts;
• Avoiding the “five-year rule”;
• Integrating ABLE accounts with SNTs;
• Pre-trust strategies.

Code: ZDFCA

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Estate Planning from A to Z – NBI 2019

A Detailed Overview of Estate Planning Procedure and Strategy

2 Day Seminar

Credit Information

Virginia Continuing Legal Education
12.00 – VA CLE
including – Ethics: 1.00

CPE for Accountants
14.00 – CPE for Accountants/NASBA
including – Behavioral Ethics: 1.00
Specialized Knowledge: 6.00
Taxes: 7.00

Other
14.00 – Financial Planners

Select a Course Format

Format

Seminar or OnDemand Audio

$575.00

Program Description

A Detailed Overview of Estate Planning Procedure and Strategy

Do you have all the knowledge and skills you need to draft tailored testamentary documents and minimize tax burdens for each of your clients? This two-day comprehensive course will become your ultimate guide to estate planning. From client intake through tax planning and business succession strategies, you will receive tips, sample forms and answers to your most pressing questions to help you excel. Get the latest knowledge on effective will and trust planning techniques – register today!
•Get two full days of estate planning training, so you can help clients protect and transfer assets exactly as they intend.
•Understand how the latest tax changes will affect your clients.
•Get practical will and trust drafting skills to speed up the process and give the testator’s last wishes power.
•Stave off conflicts of interest with a clear determination of who your client is from the start.
•Explore the pros and cons of using a living trust in the will’s stead and find out when it’s a better option.
•Explore the functions and mechanics of major trust structures – and make certain you choose the right tool for each job.
•Give each provision full power with precise word choices – get sample forms to speed up the process.
•Make sure your remarried and unmarried clients know the default inheritance laws and help them make sure the right beneficiaries are assigned.
•Minimize the taxable estate with effective tax planning techniques.
•Phrase the fiduciary and beneficiary designations to leave no room for interpretation.
•Help your clients make the tough medical decisions regarding long-term care, end-of-life and organ donation.

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Retirement and Disability Planning: SSI, SSDI, Medicaid, VA and More

Live Teleconference

Date: Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Time: 2-3:30pm

Program Description

Help Aging Clients Maximize Benefits and Plan for Incapacity Most Americans will need long-term care at some point in their lives. This insightful legal guide offers effective practical approaches to maximizing all the resources potentially available to your clients. Register today!

Who Should Attend

Course Content

Continuing Education Credit

For details on Continuing Legal Education credit hours by state, Continuing Professional Education for Accountants, and National Association of State Boards of Accountancy credit, click here.

Register here.

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Medicaid Planning and Veterans’ Benefits Planning

CLE Credits earned: 2 GEN

Both Medicaid and the Veterans Administration have extremely stringent financial and legal requirements in order to qualify for benefits. So strict are the requirements that many applicants who desperately need assistance never get it, in large part because there are so few attorneys who practice in this growing area of Elder Law and Benefits Planning. Attend this seminar and learn to be part of the solution to helping your clients navigate the maze of Medicaid and Veterans Pension benefits. This Continuing Legal Education course will give you guidance on using asset protection trusts to help future claimants qualify for Medicaid and Veterans Pension assistance, and will also provide a look at some advanced strategies to help clients get Medicaid benefits that don’t involve using trusts.

This course is co-sponsored by the Federal Bar Association.

Key topics to be discussed:

• Determine which assets are countable and how they can be made exempt
• Learn what the income eligibility requirements are
• Establish exactly what limitations are placed on asset transfers
• Deepen your knowledge of transfer penalty provisions
• Learn to effectively use trusts to plan for Medicaid without interfering with the overall estate plan

Date / Time: October 11, 2018

• 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Eastern
• 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm Central
• 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm Mountain
• 11:00 am – 1:00 pm Pacific

Choose a format:• Live Video Broadcast/Re-Broadcast: Watch Program “live” in real-time, must sign-in and watch program on date and time set above. May ask questions during presentation via chat box. Qualifies for “live” CLE credit.
• On-Demand Video: Access CLE 24/7 via on-demand library and watch program anytime. Qualifies for self-study CLE credit. On-demand versions are made available 7 business days after the original recording date and are view-able for up to one year.

Register here or here.

Protecting Assets While Qualifying for Medicaid

Live Teleconference

Date: Wednesday, October 10, 2018

Time: 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM

Sponsor: NBI

Program Description

Who Should Attend

Course Content

Continuing Education Credit

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Medicaid and Veterans Lookback Rules and Planning

Date:  Wednesday, August 15, 2018

Time: 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM

Sponsor: NBI

Location:
Hilton Garden Inn Tysons Corner
8301 Boone Blvd
Vienna, VA 22182

Make Certain Your Clients’ Long Term Care Needs Are Met

The requirements for Medicaid eligibility are strict, and protective planning is tricky. How does your understanding of Medicaid planning stack up? Join us at this focused seminar to get the answers you need about this complex area of practice. Register today!

-Determine which assets are countable and how they can be converted.

-Learn what the income eligibility requirements are.

-Establish exactly what limitations are placed on asset transfers.

-Protect your clients’ interests by knowing what’s exempt and what’s not.

-Deepen your knowledge of transfer penalty provisions.

-Learn to effectively use trusts to plan for Medicaid without interfering with the overall estate plan.

Who Should Attend
This intermediate-level program addresses key questions involved in elder planning and is designed for attorneys. It will also benefit accountants, estate and financial planners, life care planners, and paralegals.

Course Content
The Lookback Period and Qualifying Asset Transfers Rule
Asset Conversion From Non-Exempt to Exempt
Irrevocable Trusts in Medicaid Planning and Veterans Planning
The Ethics of Medicaid Planning
Penalty Period for Improper Transfers
Continuing Education Credit
Continuing Legal Education – CLE: 6.00 *
Financial Planners – Financial Planners: 7.00
National Association of State Boards of Accountancy – CPE for Accountants/NASBA: 7.00 –

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Medicaid and Veterans Asset Protection

Date(s): January 31, 2018
Event start time: 9:30 AM
Event end time: 12:45 PM

Sponsor: DC Bar

Credit: 3.0 Credit Hours

Venue: N/A

Description:

Middle-class Americans cannot afford to ignore the costs of nursing home and other long-term care, now typically exceeding $12,000 per month. Only 10-15 percent of Americans can afford and have long-term care insurance, and even that is not always adequate. For most, Medicaid is the primary source of payment, so a basic understanding of the Medicaid asset protection process is vital for attorneys who work with seniors and their families. This class will provide an overview of Medicaid asset protection concepts and strategies that estate planning and elder law attorneys in DC, Maryland, and Virginia use to help clients protect assets for themselves and their family while facilitating earlier Medicaid eligibility.

Faculty:
Evan H. Farr, Farr Law Firm, P.C.
Ron M. Landsman, Ron M. Landsman, P.A.

Fee: $89 Community Members; $99 D.C. Bar Members; $109 Government Attorneys; $129 Others

Protecting Assets While Qualifying for Medicaid

August 22, 2016 at 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM

Location:

Hilton Garden Inn Fairfax
3950 Fair Ridge Dr.
Fairfax, VA 22033

Program Description:

Get the Latest on Medicaid Application and Asset Planning Tactics

Middle-class Americans seeking asset protection cannot afford to ignore the potentially devastating costs of nursing home and other long-term care. Nursing homes are among the most common and largest creditors an average American is likely to face in his or her lifetime, but only about 10% of the population has long-term care insurance. For the other 90%, Medicaid is the primary source of payment, so a basic understanding of the Medicaid asset protection process is vital for all professionals who work with seniors and their families. This course will provide an overview of asset protection concepts and strategies that elder law attorneys can use to legally and ethically protect assets while facilitating earlier Medicaid eligibility; and a set of crisis-management tools to prevent and correct inadvertent loss of benefits. Register today!
•Learn what the income eligibility requirements are when applying for Medicaid.
•Protect your clients’ interests by knowing what’s exempt and what’s not.
•Employ the most practical and effective asset transfer methods to comply with the spend-down requirement.
•Explore crisis planning methods to restore Medicaid benefits as quickly as possible.
•Guide clients through the Medicaid qualification process by knowing what’s involved.

Who Should Attend

This basic-to-intermediate level seminar is designed for:
•Attorneys
•Nursing Home Administrators
•Social Workers
•Geriatric Care Managers
•Trust Officers
•Accountants and CPAs
•Estate and Financial Planners
•Paralegals

Course Content

I.Applying for Medicaid – The Four Eligibility Requirements
II.Pre-Need Asset Planning
III.Crisis Planning and Assistance
IV.Trust-Based Medicaid Planning in Detail
V.Using Special Needs Trusts – Sample Trust Review
VI.Applied Legal Ethics

Continuing Education Credit

Continuing Legal Education – CLE: 6.00 *

Financial Planners – Financial Planners: 7.00

Institute of Certified Bankers – ICB: 7.50 *

National Association of State Boards of Accountancy – CPE for Accountants: 7.00 *

* denotes specialty credits

Register here.

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Medicaid Asset Protection Planning:
Tips and Strategies for Estate Planners and Advisors

Thursday, August 4, 2016 | 1:00 — 2:30 p.m. Eastern

Telephone Seminar/ Audio Webcast

Sponsor: ALI CLE

Why You Should Attend

Some clients will have questions about how Medicaid asset protection should factor into estate planning.  Be sure to know how to provide the right answers.

Medicaid asset protection planning doesn’t always spring to the forefront in estate planning. But according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “Someone turning age 65 today has almost a 70 percent chance of needing some type of long-term care services and supports in their remaining years” and about 35 percent of aging individuals will need nursing facility care. Medicaid is available to cover up to half the cost, but inadequate planning can wipe out the client’s assets. There are planning options that can work, but which one is right for your client? Asset protection trust? Pooled income trust? Private annuity? Caregiver Agreement? Spousal transfer? It all depends on your client’s circumstances, and this one-hour teleseminar, presented by a leading expert in the elder law area, will explore how to make the best choice for your client.

Topics to be covered include:

•Medicaid eligibility

•Asset protection trusts

•Pooled income trusts

•Private annuities

•Caregiver Agreements

•Spousal transfers

Who Should Attend
Estate planning attorneys, CPA,s and financial advisors who have clients in need of Medicaid asset protection planning.

Register here.

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Protecting Assets While Qualifying for Medicaid

Tuesday, June 28, 2016 at 1 – 2:30 p.m. EST

Course Sponsor:  NBI

Program Description

• Learn what the income eligibility requirements are when applying for Medicaid
• Protect your client’s interests by knowing what is exempt and what is not
• Employ the most practical and effective asset transfer methods to comply with the spend-down requirement
• Guide clients through the Medicaid qualification process by knowing what is involved

Topics discussed

1. Income and Resource Eligibility
2. Look-back Period and Transfer Penalty
3. Understanding Exempt Assets
4. Asset Purchase Strategies
5. Asset Transfer Strategies
6. Using Trusts for Medicaid Asset Protection
7. Tax Considerations in Medicaid Planning
8. Applying for Medicaid
9. Available Practice Tools

Who Should Attend

This basic-to-intermediate course offers Medicaid strategies that will benefit attorneys. It may also be of interest to social workers, geriatric care managers, and paralegals.

To Register: Link to page will be added when available. View all of Evan Farr’s NBI seminars here.

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Estate Planning from A to Z

Monday, June 6, 2016 – Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Course Sponsor: NBI

Program Description:

A Detailed Overview of Estate Planning Procedure and Strategy

Do you have all the knowledge and skills you need to draft tailored testamentary documents and minimize taxable estate for each of your clients? This two-day comprehensive course will become your ultimate guide to estate planning. From client intake through tax planning and business succession strategies, you will receive tips, sample forms and answers to your most pressing questions to help you excel. Get the latest knowledge on effective will and trust planning techniques – register today!

•Get two full days of estate planning training, so you can help clients protect and transfer assets exactly as they intend.
•Get practical will and trust drafting skills to speed up the process and give the testator’s last wishes power.
•Stave off conflicts of interest with a clear determination of who your client is from the start.
•Explore the pros and cons of using a revocable living trust in the will’s stead and find out when it’s a better option.
•Explore the functions and mechanics of major trust structures – and make certain you choose the right tool for each job.
•Give each provision full power with precise word choices – get sample forms to speed up the process.
•Make sure your remarried and unmarried clients know the default inheritance laws and help them make sure the right beneficiaries are assigned.
•Minimize the taxable estate with effective tax planning techniques.
•Phrase the fiduciary and beneficiary designations to leave no room for interpretation.
•Help your clients make the tough medical decisions regarding long-term care, end-of-life and organ donation.
•Learn how to verify and document the testator’s competency to close the door on any potential will contests.

Who Should Attend

This basic-to-intermediate level two-day seminar is designed for:
•Attorneys
•Estate and Financial Planners
•Trust Officers
•Paralegals
•Accountants
•Tax Preparers

Course Content

DAY 1
I.Basic Tax Planning
II.Business Succession Planning
III.Documenting Long-Term Care, Incapacity and End-of-Life Decisions
IV.Planning for Unmarried and Remarried Couples
V.Key Elements of Effective Wills
VI.Ethical Considerations

DAY 2
VII.Client Screening and Intake
VIII.Who is the Fiduciary?
IX.Trusts 101
X.Revocable Living Trusts
XI.Trusts Used for Tax Reduction – Drafting Tips and Samples
XII.Grantor Trusts

Continuing Education Credit

Continuing Legal Education – CLE: 12.00 *

Financial Planners – Financial Planners: 14.00

National Association of State Boards of Accountancy – CPE for Accountants: 14.00 *

* denotes specialty credits

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Divorce in Medicaid Planning

Tuesday, May 31, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. EST

Course Sponsor:  NBI

Program Description

• Medicaid Basics
• When is a Medicaid Divorce the Best or Only Option?
• Disproportionate Division of Assets –The Goal and the Problem
• Redistribution of Income to the Healthy Spouse
• Redistribution of Retirement Accounts to the Healthy Spouse
• The Effect of Premarital Contracts
• Client Competency Concerns
• Conflict of Interest Concerns
• Other Ethical Considerations
• Problems and Solutions for Blended Families
• Impact of a Medicaid Divorce on Other Public Benefits

Register here.

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Veterans Benefits Planning: The New Lookback and Net Worth Rules

Wednesday, April 20, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. EST

Course Sponsor: NBI

Program Description
 
Make Sure Your Clients Get all the Benefits They’re Entitled to

Major new rules changes have made it much harder for veterans to qualify for benefits. This up-to-the-minute update will clarify new eligibility requirements, explain how the new rules will affect current and future claims, and give you the tools to ensure your clients’ eligibility. Register today!

•Clarify the new lookback period and learn how the penalty period is determined.
•Figure out how the new net worth and income limits affect your clients’ ongoing claims.
•Get effective asset transfer tools for ensuring and restoring eligibility.
•Learn how the new rules will impact your clients’ current benefits.
•Find out what counts as deductible medical expenses for eligibility purposes.

Who Should Attend

This timely legal briefing is designed for attorneys. Other professionals representing veterans will also benefit.

Course Content

•Veterans Aid and Attendance Current Benefits and Eligibility
•Proposed Net Worth and Income Limit and Exclusions
•Penalty Period Calculation
•The Proposed Rule’s Effect on the Current Benefits Recipients
•Crisis Planning Options
•Deductible Medical Expenses Defined
•New Care Requirements
•Lookback Period Planning – Effective Asset Transfer Strategies

Continuing Education Credit: See https://www.nbi-sems.com/ProductDetails/72070ER?N=0.

Veterans Affairs CLE: 1.50

Register here.

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Using Trusts in Medicaid and Veteran’s Asset Protection Planning

Course Sponsor:  NBI

Date: December 3, 2015

Time: 10:00 am – 1:15 pm

Program Description

Both Medicaid and VA benefits have extremely stringent financial requirements in order to qualify for benefits. So strict are the requirements that many applicants who sorely need the assistance fall through the cracks. This focused legal briefing will give you guidance on using simple trusts to help future claimants qualify for VA and Medicaid assistance. Order today!

Course Content

• Medicaid Financial Eligibility Rules
• Medicaid Benefits
• Veteran’s Pension (Including Aid and Attendance and Housebound Benefits) Eligibility Rules
• Veteran’s Pension Benefits
• Where to Find the Relevant Law?
• Structuring Trusts for Medicaid Asset Protection and Veteran’s Asset Protection
• Practice Tools

To learn more about CLE credits, visit http://www.nbi-sems.com, search for Evan Farr, and click on the name of this seminar.

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Protecting Assets While Qualifying for Medicaid

Wednesday, January 21, 2015 at 11am- 12:30 pm EST

Course Sponsor:  NBI

Available Practice Tools

 Protecting Assets While Qualifying for Medicaid

Friday, June 27, 2014 at 1 – 2:30 p.m. EST

Course Sponsor:  NBI

Program Description

• Learn what the income eligibility requirements are when applying for Medicaid
• Protect your client’s interests by knowing what is exempt and what is not
• Employ the most practical and effective asset transfer methods to comply with the spend-down requirement
• Guide clients through the Medicaid qualification process by knowing what is involved

Who Should Attend

This basic-to-intermediate course offers Medicaid strategies that will benefit attorneys. It may also be of interest to social workers, geriatric care managers, and paralegals.

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Using Trusts for Medicaid and Veteran’s Asset Protection Planning

“Live” CLE Video Rebroadcast on May 6, 2014 from 2-6 p.m. EST

Course Sponsor:  myLaw CLE

Description

Whether your clients are rich, poor, or somewhere in between, they cannot afford to ignore the potentially devastating costs of nursing home care and other types of long-term care. Both Medicaid and Veteran’s Aid and Attendance benefits have extremely stringent financial requirements to qualify for benefits. So strict are the requirements that many applicants who sorely need the assistance fall through the cracks. This intense 5-hour seminar with teach you the eligibility requirements for both Medicaid and the Veteran’s Aid and Attendance benefit, and will provide you the in-depth guidance you need to create the types of trusts necessary to help claimants qualify for Medicaid and Veteran’s assistance.

Key topics to be discussed:

– Medicaid eligibility rules and benefits

– Veteran’s pension eligibility rules and benefits

– How to structure trusts

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Asset Protection for the Middle Class: Using Income Only Trusts for True Asset Protection

Teleconference on Monday, April 7, 2014 from 12 – 1:30 pm EST. Click here for more details.

Description

Income only trusts should be in the arsenal of every estate planning attorney, asset protection attorney, and elder law attorney, regardless of the client’s level of wealth.

Join esteemed elder law attorneys Evan H. Farr and Richard Hughes for this 90-minute CLE program on modern asset protection using the income only trust , which will focus on why and how the income-only trust works.

What You WIll Learn

This cutting-edge program will examine:

• why assets in a properly-drafted income only trust are exempt for Medicaid purposes when clients find themselves needing nursing home care;
• why and how a properly-drafted income only trust can protect the assets of clients from probate, lawsuits, and long-term care expenses;
• how to create a variation of the income only trust that makes assets exempt for veterans wishing to obtain the Veterans Aid and Attendance Special Pension benefit;
• whether the settlor can act as trustee of the trust, even though the trust is irrevocable;
• how a properly-drafted income only trust can be used by wealthy clients who want to preserve their wealth and, more importantly, by middle-class clients who want to preserve their dignity and quality of life when assisted living or nursing home care becomes a reality
• whether the settler can be given the power to remove a trustee;
• the five types of assets that should be funded into these asset protection trusts, and the two types of assets that should not;
• whether the settlor can be given the power to change the beneficiaries of the trust.

Who Should Attend

This accredited continuing legal education program from ALI CLE will benefit attorneys who practice estate planning law, elder law, asset protection law, and general practitioners who advise clients on asset protection.

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Medicaid Planning

Seminar on Wednesday, February 26, 2014 from 9:00 am – 4:30 pm EST.

Course Sponsor:  NBI

Location: Waterford at Fair Oaks, 12025 Lee Jackson Memorial Highway, Fairfax, VA 22033

Program Description

Skyrocketing health and long-term care costs are putting added pressure on your aging clients to find a way to afford assisted care. This focused course is dedicated to helping you offer the most current and effective Medicaid planning. Get detailed instruction on fulfilling all four eligibility criteria, with special focus on excluded assets, qualifying transfer techniques, same-sex couples planning, and estate recovery rules.

•Hear the latest changes to in-home care services coverage under the ACA and PACE.
•Clear up out-of-state coverage issues before applying for Medicaid.
•Find new ways to transfer assets without risking eligibility.
•Can a gay couple claim CSRA? Find the answer to this and other questions raised by the recent DOMA repeal.
•Determine what assets count as “without saleable value” for purposes of qualified transfers.
•Walk through the Medicaid application, hearing and appeal steps; and get tips on speeding up the process.
•Prevent malpractice with legal ethics guidance tailored to Medicaid practice challenges.
•Make better use of waivers and estate recovery exemptions.

Continuing Legal Education – CLE: 6.00

Financial Planners – Financial Planners: 7.00

National Association of Board of Nursing Home Administrators – NAB/NCERS: 6.00

National Association of State Boards of Accountancy – CPE for Accountants: 7.00

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Using Trusts in Medicaid and Veteran’s Asset Protection Planning

Live Teleconference on Friday, January 24, 2014 from 10 am -11:30 am EST.

Course Sponsor: NBI

Program Description

Helping Clients Plan for Medicaid and VA Benefits Eligibility

Both Medicaid and VA benefits have extremely stringent financial requirements in order to qualify for benefits. So strict are the requirements that many applicants who sorely need the assistance fall through the cracks. This focused legal briefing will give you guidance on using simple trusts to help future claimants qualify for VA and Medicaid assistance.

• Review the eligibility requirements.
• Answer core questions of choosing the right trust structure for Medicaid asset protection.
• Understand unique rules for distributions and trustee requirements these trusts must abide by.

Who Should Attend

This focused legal briefing is designed for attorneys. It will also benefit estate and financial planners, accountants and CPAs, social workers, and paralegals.

Course Content

• Medicaid Financial Eligibility Rules
• Medicaid Benefits
• Veteran’s Pension (Including Aid and Attendance and Housebound Benefits) Eligibility Rules
• Veteran’s Pension Benefits
• Where to Find the Relevant Law?
• Structuring Trusts for Medicaid Asset Protection and Veteran’s Asset Protection
• Practice Tools

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Asset Protection for the Middle Class: Using Income Only Trusts for True Asset Protection

Tuesday, November 19, 2013 from 12 noon – 1:30 p.m.

Course Sponsor:  American Law Institute

Description:  Income only trusts should be in the arsenal of every estate planning attorney, asset protection attorney, and elder law attorney, regardless of the client’s level of wealth.

Join esteemed elder law attorneys Evan H. Farr and Richard Hughes for this 90-minute CLE program on modern asset protection using the income only trust , which will focus on why and how the income only trust works.

What You WIll Learn

This cutting-edge program will examine:

• why assets in a properly-drafted income only trust are exempt for Medicaid purposes when clients find themselves needing nursing home care;
• why and how a properly-drafted income only trust can protect the assets of clients from probate, lawsuits, and long-term care expenses;
• how to create a variation of the income only trust that makes assets exempt for veterans wishing to obtain the Veterans Aid and Attendance Special Pension benefit;
• whether the settlor can act as trustee of the trust, even though the trust is irrevocable;
• how a properly-drafted income only trust can be used by wealthy clients who want to preserve their wealth and, more importantly, by middle class clients who want to preserve their dignity and quality of life when assisted living or nursing home care becomes a reality
• whether the settler can be given the power to remove a trustee;
• the five types of assets that should be funded into these asset protection trusts, and the two types of assets that should not;
• whether the settlor can be given the power to change the beneficiaries of the trust.

Who Should Attend

This accredited continuing legal education program from ALI CLE will benefit attorneys who practice estate planning law, elder law, asset protection law, and general practitioners who advise clients on asset protection.

——

Protecting Assets While Qualifying for Medicaid

90 Minute Live Teleseminar CLE: Tuesday, September 17, 2013 from 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time

Course Sponsor: NBI

Program Description

Middle class Americans seeking asset protection cannot afford to ignore the potentially devastating costs of nursing home and other long-term care. Nursing homes are among the most common and largest creditors an average American is likely to face in his or her lifetime, but only about 10% of the population has Long-Term Care Insurance. For the other 90%, Medicaid is the primary source of payment, so a basic understanding of the Medicaid asset protection process is vital for all professionals who work with seniors and their families. This course provides an overview of asset protection concepts and strategies that elder law attorneys can use to legally and ethically protect assets while facilitating earlier Medicaid eligibility.

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Using the Living Trust Plus for Medicaid and Veteran’s Asset Protection Planning 

June 21, 2013

Course Sponsor:  myLaw CLE

Program Description

Whether your clients are rich, poor, or somewhere in between, they cannot afford to ignore the potentially devastating costs of nursing home care and other types of long-term care. Both Medicaid and Veterans Aid and Attendance benefits have extremely stringent financial requirements in order to qualify for benefits. So strict are the requirements that many applicants who sorely need the assistance fall through the cracks. This intense 4-hour seminar will teach you the eligibility requirements for both Medicaid and the Veterans Aid and Attendance benefit, and provide you the in-depth guidance you need to create the Living Trust Plus^{TM —} Evan Farr’s proprietary asset protection trust used by attorneys across the country to help claimants qualify for Medicaid and Veteran’s assistance.

May 21, 2013: Using the Living Trust Plus^TM for Medicaid and Veteran’s Asset Protection Planning, 4-Hour Live Video Broadcast CLE: Tuesday, from 4.5 Hour CLE.

Course Sponsor:  myLaw CLE

December 21, 2012: Using Trusts in Medicaid and Veteran’s Asset Protection Planning, 90-minute National CLE Presented Live via Teleseminar for the National Business Institute and West Continuing Education.

June 2012: Trusts 101, All Day Live CLE Presented in Fairfax, VA for the National Business Institute and West Continuing Education.

March 6, 2012: Medicaid, Medicare & Social Security, 90-minute National CLE Presented Live via Teleseminar and Webcast for the National Business Institute and West Continuing Education.

February 2012: Qualifying for Medicaid Long-Term Care Programs, 90-minute National CLE Presented Live via Teleseminar for the National Business Institute and West Continuing Education.

October 2011: Protecting Assets While Qualifying for Medicaid, 90-minute National CLE Presented Live via Teleseminar for the National Business Institute and West Continuing Education.

May 23, 2011: Resolving Legal and Financial Issues in Elder Care, All Day Live CLE Presented in Fairfax, VA for the National Business Institute.

May 18, 2011: Reverse Mortgages From An Elder Perspective: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly, 90-minute National CLE Presented Live via Teleseminar and Webcast for the National Business Institute and West Continuing Education.

Sep. 14, 2010: Asset Protection for the Middle Class: Strategies for Estate Planners, 60-minute National CLE Presented Live via Teleseminar for the National Constitution Center.

August 13, 2010: Qualifying for Medicaid Long-Term Care Programs and Preserving Family Assets,90-minute National CLE Presented Live via Teleseminar and Webcast for the National Business Institute and West Continuing Education. For more details or to purchase, call NBI at 1-800- 930-6182 and ask about product #53719CDRA.

August 5, 2010: Asset Protection for the Middle Class: Using Income-Only Trusts for True Asset Protection, 90-minute National CLE Presented Live via Teleseminar and Webcast for ALI-ABA.

March 18, 2010: Protecting Assets While Qualifying for Medicaid, 90-minute National CLE Presented Live via Teleseminar and Webcast for the National Business Institute and West Continuing Education. For more details or to purchase, call NBI at 1-800- 930-6182 and ask about product #52395CDRA.

February 11, 2010: Using Income Only Trusts for Medicaid (and General) Asset Protection,60-minute National Webinar and Teleconference Presented Live for Elder Law Answers.

Jan 14, 2010: Asset Protection for the Middle Class: Using Income-Only Trusts for True Asset Protection, 90-minute National CLE Presented Live via Teleseminar and Webcast for ALI-ABA (ALI-ABA conducted 5 encore presentations later in 2010.)

November 7, 2009 – Income Only Trusts to Qualify for Public Benefits,60-minute National CLE Presented Live for the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys at the NAELA 2009 Double Header Program – Introduction to Special Needs & Elder Law, held at the Hyatt Regency in Jersey City, New Jersey.

September 17, 2009: Planning and Using Income-Only Trusts for Medicaid and Traditional Asset Protection, 90-minute National CLE Presented Live via Teleseminar and Webcast for the National Business Institute. For more details or to purchase, call NBI at 1-800- 930-6182 and ask about product #50812CDRA.

July 7, 2009: Planning and Defending Asset-Protection Trusts,60-minute National CLE Presented Live via Teleseminar and Webcast for ALI-ABA.

November 13, 2008: The Use of Trusts in Asset Protection Planning,90-minute National CLE, Presented Live via Teleseminar for the National Business Institute. For more details or to purchase, call NBI at 1-800- 930-6182 and ask about product #47193CDRA.

Reverse Mortgages From An Elder Perspective: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly (NBI 2011)

Protecting Assets While Qualifying for Medicaid (VAELA 2011)

Strategies for Non-Married Crisis Planning (NAELA 2011)

Protecting Assets While Qualifying for Medicaid (NBI 2010)

Estate Planning for Client with Chronic Illness (Univ. of Richmond 2010)

Qualifying for Medicaid Long-Term Care Programs and Preserving Family Assets (NBI 2010)

Asset Protection for the Middle Class: Strategies for Estate Planners (National Constitution Center 2010)

Asset Protection For The Middle Class: Income-Only Trusts & Medicaid Asset Protection (ALI-ABA 2009)

Planning and Defending Asset-Protection Trusts (ALI-ABA 2009)

Asset Protection for the Middle Class: Using Income-Only Trusts for True Asset Protection (ALI-ABA 2009)

Planning and Using Income-Only Trusts for Medicaid and Traditional Asset Protection (NBI 2009)

Using Income Only Trusts to Qualify for Public Benefits (NAELA, 2009)

Long-Term Care Insurance: What Is It and Who Needs It? (Virginia CLE, 2008)

Funding a Special Needs Trust: How Much is Enough? (NAELA, 2008)

Demystifying Asset Protection Vehicles: The Use of Trusts in Asset Protection Planning (NBI 2008)

Medicaid Practice and Appeals (NBI, 2007)

Virginia Medicaid Waiver (NBI, 2007)

Asset Protection Using Trusts (NBI, 2007)

Trigger Provisions Creating Special Needs Trusts (NAELA, 2007)

Paying for Long-Term Care (NBI, 2007)

Fundamentals of Elder Law (NBI, 2007)