Top Legal and Financial Services in Columbia, SC 29229
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George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers
By johnsonhavoc October 30, 2017
Personally knowing George and his employees, I can say they are going a great job for their clients. I know in this world you can't help everyone, nobody can, but they at least take the time out of their day to listen and at least show you the right path to go down or send you to a place where you could possibly get help for your case. ...read more
Austin Santori & Associates
By tanya santiago November 25, 2016
Fantastic company! Worked with us on resolving several account receivable problems we had been facing and got us a terrific outcome! Will definitely use them moving forward on all of our collection needs. Thank you ! ...read more
Popowski, Callas & Shirley, P.A.
By trevall September 20, 2016
Nick worked hard and made me very happy with the final resolution of my matter. ...read more
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Social Security Disability Helps People who Work
People with disabilities are challenged with both overcoming barriers and with convincing others that those barriers do not define them. That’s why we wanted to mark this October’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month by reminding you that Social Security is an earned benefit for millions of disabled individuals, and we can assist them in going back to work. The Social Security disability insurance program, or SSDI, is perhaps the most misunderstood program of Social Security. Some people may think that SSDI recipients have never worked and are taking advantage of the system by receiving money for minor impairments. Nothing could be further from the truth. First, anyone who qualifies for SSDI must have worked enough to pay into the system and be “insured.” Second, Social Security has some of the strictest requirements in the world for disability benefits. To qualify, a person must not only have an impairment that will last one year or more, or result in death, but they must be unable to perform any substantial work. Consequently, Social Security disability beneficiaries are some of the most severely impaired people in the country, and they greatly depend on their benefits. You can learn more by visiting the Faces and Facts website at socialsecurity.gov/disabilityfacts. At the website, you will find many personal stories of those who have benefitted from Social Security when they needed it most. We also have incentives that give beneficiaries with disabilities — who are able — the opportunity to return to work. These work incentives include continued cash benefits for a period of time while you work, continued Medicare or Medicaid coverage, and help with education, training and rehabilitation to start a new line of work. In some cases, we may even be able to deduct certain impairment-related work expenses from your countable income, making it possible to earn more and also remain eligible to receive benefits. Examples of these expenses are wheelchairs, transportation costs, and specialized equipment needed for work. Social Security also offers the Ticket to Work program, which gives participants a “ticket” to go back to work while keeping their disability benefits. This program is free and voluntary. Ticket to Work gives access to an employment network, which offers assistance with job searches and placement, and vocational rehabilitation and training. Those who enroll find the Ticket to Work program makes it easier to explore whether going back to work is right for them. Some even find that they are able to eventually get back to work and earn far more than the disability payments they once received. Visit socialsecurity.gov/work for more information on the Ticket to Work program and work incentives. Or call 866-968-7842 (TDD 866-833-2967). Article Source: By Brian Hewitt Special to the Tribune-Star Posted: Saturday, October 24, 2015 6:00 pm ...read more
By Metts Law Firm, LLC October 25, 2015
Military Divorcees Aim to End Lifetime Alimony Rules
Pressure is growing among advocacy groups to revise a military divorce law that can grant ex-spouses of U.S. warriors up to half of their retirement pay right up to death. Several states are moving to no longer award lifetime alimony or exempt a portion of their own retirement funds from division. As such military members are objecting to a federal law that allows for what amounts to lifetime alimony that does not stop even if the former spouse remarries or goes on to a more successful career. The 1982 Uniformed Services Former Spouses Protection Act (USFSPA) provides states with the authority to treat non-disability military retirement pay as property and can divide it by up to 50 percent when married couples separate. Opponents of the law say they shouldn’t be automatically forced to forfeit to their ex-spouse in perpetuity a sizeable amount of their retirement benefits earned over a 20-year career serving in harm’s way. They say their retirement pay is not only compensation for the rigors of military service, but for their continuing obligations to their country. Military retirement is not a full retirement, they point out, but a reserve status that amounts to less pay for fewer services. They note that few other federal employees are subject to the military’s laws related to divorce, not even the members of Congress who wrote and passed the bill. “We just don’t think the military should have special rules against it that don’t apply to others,” Larry White, national director of the USFSPA Liberation Support Group based in San Antonio, Texas, tells Newsmax. Supporters of the law feel entitled to a share of the benefits because they have contributed significantly to the partnership, sacrificing some of their most productive years to frequently relocate and support their spouse’s advancement. “A lot of people, civilian and military, feel they have been treated unfairly in the divorce process. That’s not new,” Diane Mazur, a law professor with the University of Florida, tells Newsmax. “The military angle puts a different spin on things because both sides have an extra reason to think they've been wronged, or an extra reason to think they deserve special treatment. “The military member: ‘I put my life on the line, so that money is mine.’ The spouse: ‘I gave my life to the military too, sometimes under difficult circumstances, and so I've earned part of that pension. It's not fair for me to have to start out with nothing.’ Latest News Update Get Newsmax TV At Home » Get Newsmax TV 24/7× More Cable Systems » Watch Online » Watch Online » Special:New Probiotic Fat Burner Takes GNC by Storm “A military pension attracts a lot of attention because usually that will be the asset of greatest value, by far,” Mazur said. Congress passed the USFSPA in 1982 to reverse a 1981 Supreme Court decision that upheld a ban on dividing military retirement pay in divorce settlements, as has been traditionally allowed with civilian defined benefit plans such as 401ks or IRAs. Under the law, the spouse of an officer who was married during the entire 20 years of service would be entitled to half those benefits. If the marriage overlapped the time of service by 10 years, the spouse would be entitled to a share of the benefits accrued over those 10 years. Frustrating opponents is that there no minimum time limit of time for a couple to be married before a spouse qualifies for a portion of the benefits. Critics of the law concede that it has historically been necessary. Advancing a spouse’s military career left them to almost single-handedly raise their children, look after the house, attend events and participate in any number of social obligations. Once the marriage ended, they were left with no education or skills that would enable them to immediately rejoin the workforce. However, in recent years they are able to earn degrees while married to a service member, work full- or part-time jobs to contribute to their own retirement and create a life of their own outside of their marriage. “The current retirement system has been around since the 1940s, but the world has changed dramatically since the 1940s," Military Officers Association of America Deputy Director of Government Relations Phil Odom tells Newsmax. Similar to civilian settlements, separating military couples can negotiate any number of arrangements depending upon the state where the settlement is reached, including child custody and visitation, alimony, and the distribution of retirement benefits, says John Carney, a Dallas-based lawyer whose firm represents spouses in military divorce settlements. Spouses can accept a lump sum payment instead of a lifetime of retirement pay benefits. They can negotiate a 401k or IRA in lieu of alimony. They can split custody of their children in exchange for a combination of concessions. Military retirement pay is often distributed according to a formula, but there is a no requirement. Carney said that’s why it’s important to identify lawyers who can navigate between the “awkward combination between state and federal law.” “As far as divorce, as long as the parties agree to something, that’s what it’s going to be,” he tells Newsmax. “You’re always welcome to go to court and try to prove your case. But there is a reality, and it is my job to help them determine what that reality is.” © 2015 Newsmax. All rights reserved. Article Source:David Yonkman, Newsmax Washington Correspondent | Monday, 18 Feb 2013 02:20 PM ...read more
By Metts Law Firm, LLC October 18, 2015
Social Security Q&A: Disability Benefits at Retirement Age?
Tribune News Service Published in print: Sunday, October 18, 2015) Q: If I getSocial Security Disability benefits and I reach full retirement age, will I then receive retirement benefits? A: Social Security disability benefits automatically change to retirement benefits when disability beneficiaries reach full retirement age. In most cases, the payment amount does not change. The law does not allow a person to receive both retirement and disability benefits simultaneously on one earnings record. To learn more about Social Security, visit our website atwww.socialsecurity.gov. Q: What are Compassionate Allowances? A: Compassionate Allowances are Social Security̢۪s way of quickly identifying severe diseases and other medical conditions that qualify a person for disability benefits without waiting a long time. Compassionate Allowances permit Social Security to target the most obviously disabled individuals for allowances and faster payment of benefits based on objective medical information that can be obtained quickly. Compassionate Allowances are not separate from the Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income programs. Find out more atwww.socialsecurity.gov/compassionateallowances. For help with your application for Social Security Disability benefits, call 803-929-0577 . ...read more
By Metts Law Firm, LLC October 18, 2015