Most people think of an estate plan as just preparing a will and designating where your assets go upon your death. Broader than that, estate planning is actually the process of taking inventory of your assets and determining how to dispose of them for the remainder of your life as well as upon your death. This blog is the third in a series of five blogs discussing five basic types of elder benefits in West Virginia. The first two blogs covered employee retirement benefits and Social Security retirement benefits. This blog turns to why you should discuss Social Security disability benefits with your West Virginia estate planning lawyer.

In a very rare WV workers’ compensation rehearing, the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals has reversed its earlier decision denying a workers’ compensation claim for a secondary injury. In the first opinion, the court determined that the injury was not compensable because it was not work-related. On rehearing, the court withdrew its earlier decision, finding it was based on an inappropriate re-weighing of the facts. The court affirmed the determination by the West Virginia Workers’ Compensation Board of Review, which had concluded that when job activity worsens a noncompensable injury, the resulting new injury is compensable.

Many people correctly think of benefits for seniors as including retirement accounts and Social Security benefits, but few carefully consider how to incorporate all available elder benefits into their retirement plans. This blog is the first in a series of five outlining basic types of elder benefits to consider in establishing a comprehensive retirement plan. The first blog covers the importance of including employment benefits in your estate planning. The remaining blogs in the series cover other essential elements to be included in your overall retirement plan:

Estate planning is one of the most valuable steps you can take to ensure your health care wishes are respected and your family is provided for in your absence. However, the thought of meeting with an estate planning attorney can be overwhelming. An estate planning intake form is designed to prepare you and help alleviate the stress associated with that first meeting. 

Law in the area of workers’ compensation differs from state to state, so when you’re defending workers’ compensation claims, it’s critical to work with an attorney who knows your state system through and through. West Virginia (WV) uses a three-tiered system to adjudicate workers’ compensation claims, starting with the Office of Judges (OOJ) and ending at the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia. The intermediate tier is known as the WV Workers’ Compensation Board of Review (BOR). This blog will detail the function of the BOR and how it affects employers in the Mountain State.