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Benjamin J. Sowards

Sowards Law Firm

Benjamin J. Sowards

Sowards Law Firm

Benjamin J. Sowards

Sowards Law Firm

Mr. Sowards is an estate planning and wealth transfer attorney. He sets ups estate plans, including living trusts, to help to avoid probate, minimize taxes and limit conflict. He also helps to settle out and administer trust and probate estates. He represents trustees to help them comply with the terms of the trust agreement and the California Probate Code. He minimizes conflict and lawsuits between trustees and beneficiaries or legal heirs. He also represents small and family owned businesses. He has saved his clients millions of dollars in probate fees and has successfully resolved several family conflicts that likely would have cost the trust hundreds of thousands of dollars. Mr. Sowards works to find creative solutions to allow all interested parties to benefit from his experience.

Mr. Sowards started his legal career as an associate with San Diego’s oldest and largest law firm, Luce Forward LLP.  Later, he joined the international law firm of Morrison & Foerster LLP where he focused on business law and complex corporate transactions.  Mr. Sowards’ experience dealing with California’s Fortune 500 clients taught him how to address critical legal challenges in the most cost-effective manner. 

Mr. Sowards attended San Jose State University where he was a President’s Scholar – Top 1% of entire student body.  He attended law school at the University of California at Davis where he graduated at the top of his class and was a member of the U.C. Davis Law Review and served as articles editor for the U.C. Davis Business Law Journal.  Before graduating from U.C. Davis, Mr. Sowards worked for the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office, the Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office and the Santa Clara County Superior Court.  He also clerked for the California Resources Agency under Governor Gray Davis in Sacramento.

Firm Description

The Sowards Law Firm is a boutique Silicon Valley law firm focused on Estate Planning, Wills, Trusts, Asset Protection, Estate Administration, and Business Law. The members of our firm have been helping California families for over 25 years.

You deserve to have a personal relationship with your attorney. Your San Jose estate planning lawyer should know about your family and your estate. California attorney Benjamin J. Sowards leads the team of professionals at the Sowards Law Firm. We offer a free consultation via telephone for all new matters.

Avoid costly mistakes. Get the peace of mind that you deserve. Work with a licensed California attorney from the start so that you do things right -the first time.

  • We make house calls (on-site visits at your location)
  • We are located in the heart of Silicon Valley

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

  • Wills and Living Trusts
  • Estate Planning
  • Trust Administration
  • Probate Proceedings
  • Elder Law / Medi –Cal
  • Special Needs Planning
  • Asset Protection Planning
  • Charitable Gift Planning

Hours

Day From To
Monday 9:00 AM 5:00 PM
Tuesday 9:00 AM 5:00 PM
Wednesday 9:00 AM 5:00 PM
Thursday 9:00 AM 5:00 PM
Friday 9:00 AM 5:00 PM

Cost

What Is an Elder Law Attorney?

Main Office

2542 S. Bascom Avenue
#210
Campbell, CA 95008

800 W El Camino Real #180
Mountain View, CA 94040

530 Lytton Ave 2nd Floor
Palo Alto, CA 94301

On the web

View Firm Website

Social Media


Medicaid 101
What Medicaid Covers

In addition to nursing home care, Medicaid may cover home care and some care in an assisted living facility. Coverage in your state may depend on waivers of federal rules.

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How to Qualify for Medicaid

To be eligible for Medicaid long-term care, recipients must have limited incomes and no more than $2,000 (in most states). Special rules apply for the home and other assets.

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Medicaid’s Protections for Spouses

Spouses of Medicaid nursing home residents have special protections to keep them from becoming impoverished.

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What Medicaid Covers

In addition to nursing home care, Medicaid may cover home care and some care in an assisted living facility. Coverage in your state may depend on waivers of federal rules.

READ MORE
How to Qualify for Medicaid

To be eligible for Medicaid long-term care, recipients must have limited incomes and no more than $2,000 (in most states). Special rules apply for the home and other assets.

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Medicaid’s Protections for Spouses

Spouses of Medicaid nursing home residents have special protections to keep them from becoming impoverished.

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Medicaid Planning Strategies

Careful planning for potentially devastating long-term care costs can help protect your estate, whether for your spouse or for your children.

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Estate Recovery: Can Medicaid Take My House After I’m Gone?

If steps aren't taken to protect the Medicaid recipient's house from the state’s attempts to recover benefits paid, the house may need to be sold.

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Help Qualifying and Paying for Medicaid, Or Avoiding Nursing Home Care

There are ways to handle excess income or assets and still qualify for Medicaid long-term care, and programs that deliver care at home rather than in a nursing home.

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Are Adult Children Responsible for Their Parents’ Care?

Most states have laws on the books making adult children responsible if their parents can't afford to take care of themselves.

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Applying for Medicaid

Applying for Medicaid is a highly technical and complex process, and bad advice can actually make it more difficult to qualify for benefits.

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Alternatives to Medicaid

Medicare's coverage of nursing home care is quite limited. For those who can afford it and who can qualify for coverage, long-term care insurance is the best alternative to Medicaid.

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ElderLaw 101
Estate Planning

Distinguish the key concepts in estate planning, including the will, the trust, probate, the power of attorney, and how to avoid estate taxes.

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Grandchildren

Learn about grandparents’ visitation rights and how to avoid tax and public benefit issues when making gifts to grandchildren.

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Guardianship/Conservatorship

Understand when and how a court appoints a guardian or conservator for an adult who becomes incapacitated, and how to avoid guardianship.

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Health Care Decisions

We need to plan for the possibility that we will become unable to make our own medical decisions. This may take the form of a health care proxy, a medical directive, a living will, or a combination of these.

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Estate Planning

Distinguish the key concepts in estate planning, including the will, the trust, probate, the power of attorney, and how to avoid estate taxes.

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Grandchildren

Learn about grandparents’ visitation rights and how to avoid tax and public benefit issues when making gifts to grandchildren.

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Guardianship/Conservatorship

Understand when and how a court appoints a guardian or conservator for an adult who becomes incapacitated, and how to avoid guardianship.

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Health Care Decisions

We need to plan for the possibility that we will become unable to make our own medical decisions. This may take the form of a health care proxy, a medical directive, a living will, or a combination of these.

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Long-Term Care Insurance

Understand the ins and outs of insurance to cover the high cost of nursing home care, including when to buy it, how much to buy, and which spouse should get the coverage.

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Medicare

Learn who qualifies for Medicare, what the program covers, all about Medicare Advantage, and how to supplement Medicare’s coverage.

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Retirement Planning

We explain the five phases of retirement planning, the difference between a 401(k) and an IRA, types of investments, asset diversification, the required minimum distribution rules, and more.

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Senior Living

Find out how to choose a nursing home or assisted living facility, when to fight a discharge, the rights of nursing home residents, all about reverse mortgages, and more.

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Social Security

Get a solid grounding in Social Security, including who is eligible, how to apply, spousal benefits, the taxation of benefits, how work affects payments, and SSDI and SSI.

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Special Needs Planning

Learn how a special needs trust can preserve assets for a person with disabilities without jeopardizing Medicaid and SSI, and how to plan for when caregivers are gone.

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Veterans Benefits

Explore benefits for older veterans, including the VA’s disability pension benefit, aid and attendance, and long-term care coverage for veterans and surviving spouses.

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