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Press Releases
June 2011: Congressman Ted Deutch (D-FL) Introduces Bill into Congress to Provide Tax Credit for Legal Expenses While Pursuing Guardianship of Adult With Disabilities Congressman Ted Deutch (D-FL) recently introduced a Bill into Congress that would provide a tax credit of up to $5,000.00 for legal expenses incurred while pursuing a guardianship of an adult with disabilities. The Special Needs Tax Credit Bill is intended to make the legal guardianship process, which can cost several thousand of dollars, more affordable for families with persons with disabilities. The proposed legislation would give qualified individuals a tax credit (which is generally more favorable than a deduction) of up to $5,000.00 for their guardianship related legal fees. The amount of the available credit is based on the proposed guardian’s income, with a maximum income limit of $90,000.00 for a single person, and a $165,000.00 for a married couple filing jointly. Check back at mcandrewslaw.com for updates as to whether this important legislation is enacted. June 2011: McAndrews Selected as 2011 Super Lawyer by Philadelphia Magazine McAndrews Law Offices, P.C. is pleased to announce that Dennis C. McAndrews, Esquire has been selected by Philadelphia Magazine for the 6th consecutive year as a “Super Lawyer” in the field of Special Education Law for 2011. He has received the highest rating by Martindale Hubble and his colleagues for attorneys in the field of Estate Planning. August 2010: McAndrews Law Offices Won Major Victory in Third Circuit Court of Appeals McAndrews Law Offices recently won a major victory in the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in a case arising out of the Philadelphia School District. The Third Circuit Court of Appeals (the federal court one step removed from the United States Supreme Court) held that a young woman was entitled to compensatory education services in the form of an IEP which permitted the student to attend an Approved Private School beyond the age of 21. In previous proceedings, McAndrews Law Offices convinced a federal District Court judge that the court’s equitable powers under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act provided authority for the Court to require the School District of Philadelphia to develop and implement an Individualized Education Plan to allow the child to attend a private school after the age of 21. The court also recognized that in some circumstances, a monetary award of compensatory education may be inadequate to allow a child to be “made whole” as a result of a district’s inadequate program, and that additional relief such as the development of a post-21 IEP may be required. Our best wishes to our client who will now receive critically necessary services as compensatory education!
August 2010: Hulse Wins Significant Decision Before PA Special Education Hearing Officer Heather Hulse, Esquire, of the Scranton office of McAndrews Law Offices recently won a significant decision before a Pennsylvania Special Education Hearing Officer.In this case, the Hearing Officer decided that the student had been denied a free appropriate public education by a school district in Northeastern Pennsylvania, and awarded a significant number of compensatory education hours to remediate the child’s special needs as a result of the loss of proper educational programming. Significantly, the award mandated that the child’s parents may select the form and service providers for the compensatory education, and the award and order indicated that the allowable costs of these services would total the salaries and related costs to the school district of the faculty which should have provided the services in the first instance. McAndrews Law Offices thanks Heather for her hard work on this case, and looks forward to the family’s use of compensatory education services to develop meaningful educational progress for our client.
February 2010: McAndrews Selected as 2010 Super Lawyer by Philadelphia Magazine McAndrews Law Offices, P.C. is pleased to announce that Dennis C. McAndrews, Esquire has been selected by Philadelphia Magazine for the 7th consecutive year as a “Super Lawyer” in the field of Special Education Law for 2010. Mr. McAndrews was also selected as a “Top Lawyer” in 2009 by Main Line Today in the field of Wills, Trusts, and Estates. He has received the highest rating by Martindale Hubble and his colleagues for attorneys in the field of Estate Planning.
August 2009: Article by Jennifer M. Lukach Bradley Published in The Pennsylvania Lawyer Jennifer M. Lukach Bradley, an associate with McAndrews Law Offices, was published in the July/August 2009 edition of The Pennsylvania Lawyer. The Article is entitled “Staying in the Mainstream.”
June 2009: McAndrews Law Offices Opens Northeastern PA Office McAndrews Law Offices has opened a Northeastern Pennsylvania office. The office is located at 400 Spruce Street, Suite 300, Scranton, PA, phone (570) 969-1817, fax: (570) 969-0955. Please watch our website for seminars with regard to Special Education, Special Needs Trusts, and Estate Planning in Northeastern Pennsylvania. We will conduct extensive outreach to interested parties in the local community and will offer free special education consultations in 2009. Heather Hulse, Esquire, has relocated full-time to our Scranton office and brings her extensive experience in our practice areas to our new location. Heather spent many of her formative years in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and possesses two Masters’ degrees in Psychology in addition to her law degree. The firm’s Managing Partner, Dennis C. McAndrews, Esquire, grew up in Lackawanna County and attended North Pocono High School. Both Heather and Dennis maintain many family and professional contacts in Northeastern Pennsylvania, and look forward to serving the needs of our expanding client base in that region.
April 2009: McAndrews Receives Highest Rating by Martindale-Hubbell McAndrews Law Offices, P.C., a nine-attorney firm with offices in Berwyn, Wyomissing, and Scranton which emphasizes in Special Education law, Special Needs Trusts, and Estate Planning/Administration, is pleased to announce that Dennis C. McAndrews, Esquire, has an “AV Rating,” Martindale-Hubbell’s highest rating. Mr. McAndrews is the founding shareholder of McAndrews Law Offices, P.C., and has worked for over twenty-five years in the public and private sectors in several roles in field of disability law. The Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings service evaluates lawyers and law firms in the United States and Canada and is based on the confidential opinions of members of the Bar and the Judiciary, including those who are and are not rated. To achieve an “AV Rating,” an attorney must be in admitted to the bar for 10 or more years. There are two components to the Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings: the General Ethical Standards Rating and the Legal Ability Rating. Mr. McAndrews has received ratings of “very high to preeminent” and “very high,” signifying professional expertise and adherence to professional standards of conduct and ethics, reliability, diligence, and other criteria relevant to the discharge of professional responsibilities.
January 2009: Alvarado Named Shareholder with McAndrews Law Offices, P.C. McAndrews Law Offices, P.C., a nine-attorney firm with offices in Berwyn, Wyomissing, and Scranton emphasizing in education law, Special Needs Trusts, and Estate Planning/Administration, is pleased to announce that Tanya A. Alvarado, Esquire has been named a shareholder with McAndrews Law Offices, P.C. Mrs. Alvarado received her Bachelor of Arts from Cornell University and her law degree from Boston University School of Law.
January 2009: Konkler-Godsmith Assumes New Role at McAndrews Law Offices, P.C. McAndrews Law Offices, P.C., a nine-attorney firm with offices in Berwyn, Wyomissing, and Scranton which emphasizes in education law, Special Needs Trusts, and Estate Planning/Administration, is pleased to announce that Heidi B. Konkler-Goldsmith, Esquire, will assume the role of Supervising Partner for Special Education.
January 2009: McAndrews Named “Super Lawyer” in 2008 by Philadelphia Magazine McAndrews Law Offices, P.C., is pleased to announce that Dennis C. McAndrews, Esquire, was recently selected by Philadelphia Magazine for the fifth consecutive year as a “Super Lawyer” in the field of special education law for 2008. He also practices extensively in Estate Planning, Special Needs Trust, and Estate Administration. Mr. McAndrews is the founding shareholder of McAndrews Law Offices, P.C., with offices in Berwyn, Scranton, and Wyomissing. He is a frequent lecturer to national conferences, Bar Association Committees and advocacy groups in Pennsylvania concerning the rights of the disabled. He received his law degree from Villanova School of Law and is also an instructor of law courses at Villanova University.
January 2009: McAndrews Law Offices Celebrates Over 25 Years of Service on the Main Line in Estate Planning, Estate Administration, and Special Needs Representation For over 25 years, McAndrews Law Offices has provided comprehensive estate planning services from our geographic base on the Main Line. Our services have included the full gambit of estate planning, including every type of estate plan imaginable, from simple Wills for individuals with modest estate planning needs, to highly complex Wills and related trusts to address significant issues involving death taxes, unusual family situations, and special needs planning. Our attorneys have a wealth of experience in every area of estate planning, estate administration, and special needs planning. We have created hundreds of estate plans with widely diverse needs, and are thoroughly versed in the use of credit shelter trusts, life insurance trusts, disclaimer trusts, special needs trusts, and related death tax planning. Our attorneys and paralegals possess a wide array of experience and professional training, and include experience at large center city estate planning firms, post-graduate legal training in taxation, representation of trust companies, and dozens of presentations at national and state seminars on special needs planning. We invite you to review the resumes of our talented professionals as you make the important decision of selecting a law firm to represent the interests of your family in these vital legal matters. |
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Main Office: McAndrews Law Offices | 30 Cassatt Avenue | Berwyn, PA 19312 The information within this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney |
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