Take a look at the latest edition of The Advisor!
HARTWIG LAW FIRM IS NOW KEEFE DISABILITY LAW RECENT CHANGES TO OUR BRANDING I announced through this newsletter about a year ago that Hartwig Law Firm had purchased Keefe Disability Law. Over the past 14 months, we’ve worked hard to ensure this transition goes as smoothly as possible. We’re ready to provide more updates, so you know what to expect from Hartwig Law Firm and Keefe Disability Law going forward. First, I want to discuss what’s changing. Don’t worry; all these changes are for the better! You may have noticed the first change when you received this newsletter, as our branding has received a complete overhaul. We have switched from Hartwig Law Firm’s dark and light blue to orange and green. We are also taking the Keefe Disability Law name from now on and will no longer be known as Hartwig Law Firm. You may soon receive mail with our new name, logo, and color scheme if you haven’t already. Additionally, we now have two offices available to serve our clients. The location that many of you have used for years in Plymouth will remain, and the Keefe Disability Law office in Natick will also be available to assist you. You can find more information about these offices on the back of this newsletter. Both are fully functioning offices with amazing people ready to help with whatever you need. With the addition of a second location, our team has grown even bigger, allowing us to help more clients than ever before.
MARCH
/APRIL
2023
contact information you use to reach us will remain the same. You can still call the same phone number, email the same email address, and send Christmas cards to the same physical address you know and love. The Hartwig Law Firm website is active, so you can still reach us there. You’ll be able to contact us through the Keefe Disability Law website as well. Our commitment to our clients will also remain the same. I built this business with the goal of assisting as many people as possible, and nothing about that is changing with our new acquisition. We now have more hands on deck available to help with any questions or concerns. I am beyond excited about these new changes and can’t wait to see what the future holds. When I first started working for Keefe Disability Law, shortly after graduating from law school, I had no idea that one day, I would open my own firm that would eventually purchase Keefe Disability Law. I’m thankful for this opportunity and know
we will continue the great work of Hartwig Law Firm and Keefe Disability Law going forward. If you need anything from us or have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact us. We are always available to help!
That’s it! Those are the changes that you’ll notice the next time you interact with us. So what’s staying the same? For Hartwig Law clients, the
1-877-9-DISABLED (877-934-7225) • KeefeLaw.com •
Add Organization to Your Spring-Cleaning List! 4 TIPS TO KEEP YOUR HOUSE TIDY
Use an old disinfecting wipes container to store your plastic bags. If you like to reuse plastic shopping bags at home, finding a way to store them can be a pain. Next time you run out of Clorox Wipes (or another generic equivalent), rinse the inside of the container with water and store your plastic bags there. Then with the container’s built-in feeding lid, you’ll be able to pull the bags out one by one as you need them. Label messy cords with tape. As working from home and numerous consumer electronics (shut up, Alexa!) become more prevalent in our lives, the cords connecting these devices can become tangled and hard to differentiate. By wrapping a piece of painter’s or washi tape around a cord, you can create a tag to write what that cord is attached to. So, no more guessing which cords you’re unplugging!
It’s March — the month of spring-cleaning! While many often think of scrubbing the windows or washing the floors, spring is the perfect time to reorganize your house into a more efficient space. And no, you don’t need fancy storage furniture or shiny color-coded bins to get your home in order. There are many small things you can do just by using clever tricks and throwaway household items. So, try these organization hacks to tidy your home this month and beyond. Keep your matching bed sets together by using a pillowcase to store them. Organize your linen closet by slipping the flat and fitted sheets into one of their respective matching pillowcases (fold the other pillowcase in there as well!). This way, you’ll never have to hunt for the matching sheets again!
Add some chalkboard paint to your jars.
Sometimes, we have no idea what’s inside the jars in our pantry. Maybe it’s flour, or maybe it’s powdered sugar. Sometimes, it can be neither! To solve this, you can buy a little jar of chalkboard paint at your nearest craft store and paint squares on your jars (or other unlabeled containers around the house) to write with chalk what’s inside! The best part is you can erase these labels and change them based on the jar’s contents. These hacks will help you give your spring- cleaning a major boost by keeping your home neat and tidy for the rest of the year!
The Social Security Administration’s 5-Step Evaluation Process
3. Is your disability on either of the SSA’s lists of disabling conditions? The SSA has two lists of conditions it considers disabling — one for children and one for adults. The adult list breaks conditions into 14 high- level categories according to the body system. If your specific condition is not listed, then the DDS will look to see if it is “equal” to one of the disabling conditions on the list. 4. Can you do the same work you’ve done in the past? The DDS will look to see if you can do the same work you have done in the past, despite your disability. If you can, they will deny your claim. 5. Are you able to do any other type of work? So, you can’t perform your current work, but can you perform ANY other work? That’s what they will look at next. The DDS will review your age, education, physical/mental condition, skills, and work experience to determine what other work you can perform. They will deny your claim if they find you can switch jobs and work.
When you file your Social Security claim, the Social Security Administration will put it through a five-step evaluation process to determine if you are disabled, establish the extent of your disability, and see whether you are eligible for disability payments through the SSA. This evaluation is made by an examiner along with the Disability Determination Services department (DDS) and a medical team that reviews each case file. 1. Are you working? We call it “working,” and the SSA calls it “engaging in substantial gainful activity” or SGA. The SSA is looking to see if you worked and earned more than $1,470 monthly on a sustained basis ($2,460 if you are blind). If so, that’s enough to likely disqualify you from receiving Social Security Disability payments. 2. Is your condition considered severe by the SSA? Your condition must be “severe” enough to interfere with your ability to perform the most basic work activities required in any job. This can include seeing, hearing, speaking, walking, sitting, reaching, responding to supervisors, etc. If your disability is considered “severe” under their regulations, they will move to Step 3.
Remember that making it to Step 5 does not guarantee that your claim will be approved. Give us a call today if you need help filing your claim.
• 1-877-9-DISABLED (877-934-7225) • KeefeLaw.com
GET TO KNOW ANDREA!
APPLE TART WITH ROSEMARY AND HONEY SYRUP
While every team member plays a pivotal role in supporting our clients, one person helps us continue to work together like a well- oiled machine. Andrea, our office manager, ensures our firm runs efficiently so that we can successfully help our clients. Andrea had a passion for law long before she found her way to our team. As a teen, she dreamed of becoming a lawyer. Yet, with life’s twists and turns, she instead entered the medical field as an office manager. While she succeeded in her career, an on-the- job injury changed her life. Her neck was seriously injured, and three neurosurgeons informed her that she needed surgery. Like many of our clients, Andrea found herself at odds with a workers’ compensation company that refused to pay for the operation. After hiring an attorney and going to court, a judge determined that the company would have to pay for her surgery. But that wasn’t the end of her headaches. While battling for her compensation, three years passed, and she was left unemployed. Andrea realized that many people had struggled through a similar journey, where others controlled their livelihood and their rightful benefits were withheld. That’s how she ended up here. Today, Andrea helps clients who were once just like her. She has been an exceptional office manager for seven and a half years, working to make our office as strong as possible. We can also always count on Andrea to make us and our clients laugh. Our Office’s Secret to Success
INGREDIENTS
• •
Frozen puff pastry, thawed
•
3/4 cup runny honey, divided 2 pink lady apples, very thinly sliced 1 rosemary sprig, leaves picked
3 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
•
• • •
1 egg yolk
1/3 cup almond meal 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
•
DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 400 F. 2. Roll pastry to a 12-inch- diameter circle, 1/8 inch thick. Place on a tray lined with baking paper. 3. In a bowl, place butter,
4. Spread over pastry and arrange apple slices on top. Drizzle with 1/4 cup honey. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden and crisp. 5. In a pan over low heat, place rosemary and
egg yolk, almond meal, vanilla, and
remaining 1/4 cup honey. Swirl to melt honey. Pour over tart, and enjoy!
1/4 cup honey. Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth.
Inspired by Delicious.com
When she’s not in our office, she spends time with her goldador (golden retriever/Labrador) Ollie, short for Oliver Twist. Why Oliver Twist? Her beloved Ollie is a master snack stealer and was originally a shelter pup! She knew Ollie would be coming home with her when she visited the shelter for two fateful reasons. Not only did Ollie look precisely like her last furry friend who she loved dearly, but he also had been given the same name as her brother, Sam. It was destiny.
On the weekends, you can find Andrea swinging away at the golf course or taking Ollie on a scenic walk on the beach or in the woods. The next time you visit our office, say hello to Andrea (especially if you want a good laugh). We’re so glad to have Andrea on our team and couldn’t imagine our office without her.
1-877-9-DISABLED (877-934-7225) • KeefeLaw.com •
209 W Central St #300 Natick, MA 01760 385 Court St., Suite 210 Plymouth, MA 02360 1-877-9-DISABLED (1-877-934-7225) KeefeLaw.com
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
SHARE YOUR STORY! Do you want to share a story about your disability claim, experience with Hartwig Law Firm, or just a funny story in general? Contact Andrea at (508) 732-8989 or via email at Patrick@KeefeLaw.com, and you could be featured in our next newsletter!
1 2
Our Transition From Hartwig Law Firm to Keefe Disability Law
Pro Tips to Organize Your Home This Spring
Social Security’s 5-Step Process
3
Meet Our Office Manager, Andrea
Apple Tart With Rosemary and Honey Syrup
4
Who Was St. Patrick?
6 FUN FACTS ABOUT ST. PATRICK’S DAY ‘Irish I Knew That Sooner!’
That’s not his name. As mentioned earlier, St. Patrick is not his real name! When he became a bishop, Maewyn Succat changed his name to Patrick. He didn’t banish snakes. Legend has it that St. Patrick banished all of the snakes from Ireland. In fact, even some portraits depict him doing so. However, fossil records show that snakes were never present in Ireland around his lifetime. Corned beef and cabbage originated in America. On March 17, everyone loads up on corned beef and cabbage in celebration, but did you know that in Ireland, they ate ham and cabbage, and the corned beef tradition actually began in America? In the 19th century, Irish Americans bought leftover corned beef from ships returning from China. The first St. Patrick’s Day parade happened in America. Many believe that St. Patrick’s Day was first celebrated in Ireland, but in 1737, the first St. Patrick’s Day parades actually took place in Boston and New York City.
Year after year, we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with green shamrocks, leprechauns, pots of gold, and Lucky Charms, but did you know that St. Patrick was actually British? Even more surprising, St. Patrick isn’t even his real name!
Get ready to celebrate the luck of the Irish while impressing others with some fun St. Patrick’s Day trivia.
The man’s British roots run deep. St. Patrick isn’t Irish — he was born in Britain around the end of the fourth century. Legend has it that at 16 years old, he was kidnapped and sold into slavery by Irish raiders. After six years, he was able to escape back to Britain and returned to Ireland much later as a Christian missionary. Ireland named him the country’s patron saint after he passed away. March 17 isn’t St. Patrick’s birthday. Many believe that we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on his birthday, but it’s actually the day he died in 461 A.D.
• 1-877-9-DISABLED (877-934-7225) • KeefeLaw.com
Published by Newsletter Pro | NewsletterPro.com
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator