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Showing posts from April, 2017

Children with Disabilities: Creating Limited Conservatorship Before They Turn 18

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According to the law, once your children turn 18, they’re adults, legally responsible for their own actions and decisions. Yet most parents would admit to being a little apprehensive as their children leave the nest and begin building their own lives. They hope that if they’ve done their job–instilled sound values and a work ethic–their kids will go on to become happy, responsible and productive adults, and in most cases, there’s a happy ending. What about those families where there are children with mental disabilities? But what about those children who are born with developmental disabilities? Since these children are still minors, the parents have the same parental rights as others. But unlike normal children who exercise their rights to become legal adults when they turn 18, children who are developmentally disabled don’t have that luxury because they still require help when they turn 18. Even for those who are high-functioning and lead fairly normal lives, there are many th

Immigrant vs Non-Immigrant Visas: Temporary or Permanent Stay in the US?

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There is a lot of uncertainty around the issue of immigration these days, and  DP Legal Solutions  assists clients who are trying to sponsor family members or dealing with Visa and Green-Card issues of their own. In general, a Visa is a permit that a country’s consulate grants to a citizen of a foreign country to come to the issuing country. For example, through its consulate in Vietnam, the U.S. Government may grant a Visa to a Vietnamese citizen so that he/she can travel to the United States. Two classifications of U.S. Visas: Immigrant and Non-Immigrant The U.S Department of State has classified two types of Visas: Immigrant and Non-Immigrant. An Immigrant Visa  (IV) will be issued for those who are sponsored by a qualified U.S. Petitioner, i.e., parents, a spouse or siblings. Without the sponsorship of a qualified U.S. Petitioner, a foreign citizen cannot be granted an Immigrant Visa, though there are special circumstances, such as those with refugee status. With an IV

April 16 Is National Healthcare Decisions Day: Have You Named Your Proxy?

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April 16 is National Healthcare Decisions Day, a day to highlight the importance of advance healthcare planning.  We make it easy for our clients by including an Advance Healthcare Directive (AHD) in our comprehensive  Living Trust package that also includes a Power of Attorney. What is an Advance Healthcare Directive? An AHD is a legal document in which a person specifies what actions should be taken in regard to his/her health in the event of incapacitation or illness. People should be appointing a trusted person to make these important healthcare decisions for them, but healthcare planning also includes long-range thinking about important lifestyle issues, such as whether to remain at home or opt for nursing care, Hail-Mary lifesaving efforts vs. enlisting the help of hospice care when people are clearly in failing health. AHDs on the rise While we’d all like to think that we could make our own decisions, the reality is that the majority of us will have at least a tempo

Family Immigration: Uniting Families from Around the World

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As  Immigration consultants ,  DP Legal Solutions  has helped unite hundreds of families. We’re proud to be the bridge that brings family members from many different countries together in the U.S. It is becoming more difficult to immigrate, the process can be lengthy and there are backlogs, but families who are determined to bring their extended families to this country know that it’s worth the effort. Immigrants must be  sponsored Under the family reunification program, U.S. citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents, also known as green card holders, can bring their relatives to this country through a process called  sponsorship . U.S. citizens can petition the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for spouse, child(ren), parents and siblings. Green card holders can ONLY petition for spouses and unmarried children to come to this country. In all cases, the petitioning family member in the U.S., the  sponsor , must demonstrate that he/she has enough income or as