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Authored by: Stephen R. Elville, Esq. -- 443-393-7696, steve@elvilleassociates.com, @elvilleassoc Individual Retirement Accounts, 401(k)s, and other qualified plans allow an employee to shelter his or her retirement savings, tax-free, until retirement. When an employee withdraws funds from his IRA or 401(k), the amount withdrawn is considered taxable income. Because of this favorable tax treatment, the government does not want people to remove the funds from a retirement account until they reach retirement age, so it imposes an additional 10 percent tax on any funds that are taken out of an IRA or 401(k) before the owner of the account is 59 1/2 years old. The early withdrawal penalty has been very effective at forcing retirement plan owners to keep money in their retirement accounts, but it could be unnecessarily punitive if an employee suddenly becomes disabled and needs to access the funds in his retirement account to pay for medical expenses or for the daily cost of living. The IRS has taken this problem into account and offers people with disabilities, or people who incur sudden medical expenses, a break. If a retirement account owner becomes disabled, the IRS will waive the 10 percent early withdrawal penalty so long as she can show that he or she is unable to perform any substantial gainful activity and that the condition causing the disability is expected to result in death or last for a long time. These requirements just so happen to mirror some of the major requirements for a person to qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). If someone does not meet the disability requirement, there are still several other exceptions to the early-withdrawal penalty that may be useful for a person with a disability, even if his condition does not rise to a level where it completely prevents him from performing substantial gainful activity. If someone is unemployed and needs to take money out of a retirement plan to pay privately for health insurance (often very important for people with disabilities or for the parents of children with disabilities), the IRS will waive the early withdrawal penalty. Likewise, if an account owner has significant unreimbursed medical expenses that are more than 7.5 percent of his gross income, then the retirement funds can be utilized to pay for those bills without penalty.     #elvilleeducation

By:  Jeffrey D. Stauffer -- Community Relations Director -- jeff@elvilleassociates.com, 443-393-7696, @elvilleassoc Columbia, MD – In the first-of-its-kind partnership in the country, Elville and Associates, P.C., an estate planning, elder law, and special needs planning law firm based in Columbia, Maryland, and the Institute on Healthcare Directives have partnered to offer MIDEO ® (My Informed Decision On VidEO) to the firm’s Client Care Program members.  The MIDEO ® card is a personalized card with individuals’ critical healthcare information on the front that also hosts by video, accessible by a QR code scan, their prerecorded wishes for resuscitation and other healthcare choices.  By providing an accurate, up-to-date, easy to review video of the individual speaking, their personal MIDEO ® will accurately allow their wishes and choices to be carried out correctly by medical professionals. “Elville and Associates is privileged to partner with Dr. Ferdinando Mirarchi and MIDEO ® to provide our Client Care Program members with the leading-edge technical tools they need to stay ahead of the curve in healthcare decision-making,” remarked Stephen R. Elville, principal and lead attorney of Elville and Associates.  “Clients are assured and gratified to know they can implement advanced measures, remain proactive in making their health-related wishes known, and protect themselves to the greatest extent possible in an uncertain world.” Some of the benefits of MIDEO ® are: ü MIDEO ® prevents medical errors related to medical strangers misinterpreting your documents ü MIDEO ® ensures the right care at the right time ü MIDEO ® is personalized and individualized for you ü MIDEO ® is easy to complete and Dr. Mirarchi will guide you through every step ü MIDEO ® protects your family from having to make difficult, uninformed decisions that may cause family disruption ü MIDEO ® is protection for you and your family that is retrievable anywhere in the country and internationally The Institute on Healthcare Directives and MIDEO ® are spearheaded by Dr. Ferdinando Mirarchi, Chief Medical & Scientific Officer of the Institute on HealthCare Directives and the Founder of MIDEO ®.  From institutehcd.com, he is “the Principal Investigator of the TRIAD (The Realistic Interpretation of Advance Directives) Research Series which has been featured by the New York Times & Wall Street Journal. His research reveals there is a new Nationwide patient safety risk affecting patients who have living wills, Physicians Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment orders and those who are critically ill.  His TRIAD VIII study, released by the Journal of Patient Safety, is groundbreaking and reveals patient treatment is much more effective if video testimony is incorporated into their advance care plans.  Dr. Mirarchi is also a practicing Emergency Medicine Physician and Medical Director of the Department of Emergency Medicine at UPMC-Hamot in Erie PA.” At Elville and Associates, it has and always will be the firm’s mission to offer the very best legal-technical knowledge and service to our clients and communities we serve.  We trust this added benefit will prove valuable to our clients and advisor community with whom we partner as a benefit to their clients. To learn more about MIDEO ® and the Institute on Healthcare Directives or to set an appointment, please visit MIDEOcard.com and institutehcd.com.  For more information about Elville and Associates, please visit elvilleassociates.com.

Olivia Holcombe-Volke began volunteering with MVLS in 2015, and since then has helped 39 clients with 51 legal issues including estate administration and planning, deeds, and tax. Read More »

Check out Elville & Associates ' Partner Olivia Holcombe-Volke's co-authored article in the Spring 2019 edition of "The Advocate," titled “Your Home, Your Deed, Your Legacy – Ensuring Stability in Baltimore City through Legal Services” on page 6 of the The Advocate | 2019

Authored by:  Jeffrey D. Stauffer – Community Relations Director, 443-393-7696, jeff@elvilleeassociates.com, @elvilleassoc On March 7 th, Elville and Associates’ principal and lead attorney Stephen R. Elville, J.D., LL.M., visited the University of Maryland at College Park to partner with the University of Maryland Autism Research Consortium (UMARC) for the third in a four-part nationwide webinar series to provide education and resources for families and professionals regarding autism and other neuro-diverse conditions. The series was led by Ms. Kathy Dow-Burger, Co-Director of UMARC and a Speech Language Pathologist at the University and Ms. Nan Berstein Ratner, a Professor in the Department of Hearing & Speech Sciences. Mr. Elville’s discussion, regarding “Benefits,” covered a wide spectrum of information as he shared information regarding SSI, SSDI, Medicaid, and Medicare; local benefits such as Medicaid waivers, the Autism wavier, the Maryland Division of Rehabilitation Services (DORS), and employment training; and local benefits such as micro grants, home share programs and non-profit benefits. Pictured from left to right: Mr. Stephen Elville, Ms. Kathy Dow-Burger, Mr. Mark Friese, Mr. Matthew Bogin Mr. Chase Phillips; Ms. Nan Bernstein Ratner Also presenting in the webinar series were Mr. Chase Phillips, Senior Vice President and Senior Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch; Mr. Mark Friese, Wealth Management Advisor and Senior Financial Advisor with Merill Lynch; and Mr. Matthew Bogin, Attorney with the Michael J. Eig & Associates, P.C.  Along with Mr. Elville’s discussion of benefits, Mr. Phillips webinar discussion surrounded an “Overview of the Four Financial Pillars” (Legal, Benefits, Family, and Financial); Mr. Friese’s piece discussed “Financial Planning; and Mr. Bogin’s part delved into “Legal and Family Planning.” To complete the series, UMARC welcomed the webinar presenters back to the University of Maryland on April 10 th for a live webinar panel discussion that encompassed the entire webinar series to field questions from a nationwide audience.  The result was a comprehensive resource guide for families and professionals for special needs planning.  To listen to the entire webinar series and ensuing Q&A discussion, please click here. Stephen R. Elville works with individuals and families to provide a unique attorney-client experience and peace of mind through a proactive and collaborative approach based on leading edge legal-technical knowledge.  Mr. Elville has extensive experience in working with clients involved in crisis situations.  He also brings a unique and personalized approach to pre-crisis planning.  Mr. Elville routinely handles client issues in the following areas:  wills, trusts, estate tax planning, powers of attorney, living wills/advance medical directives, Medicaid asset protection trusts, Medicaid planning and qualification, estate administration, fiduciary representation, nursing home selection, guardianships, special needs planning for children and adults, Social Security Disability Income (SSDI), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and IRS tax controversy. Mr. Elville was named to the Maryland Super Lawyers List in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2019 and is a member of the National Association of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), Elder Counsel, Wealth Counsel, the Academy of Special Needs Planners, and the National Network of Estate Planning Attorneys.  He is the past Chair of the Howard County Bar Association Estates & Trusts and Elder Law Sections and is the past President of the Coalition of Geriatric Services (COGS).  Mr. Elville currently serves as Chair of the Elder Law and Disability Rights Section Council of the Maryland State Bar Association, and is a member of the Charitable Gift Planning Advisory Committee for Anne Arundel Medical Center (CGPAC).  He also serves as Chair for Law Day Maryland. The education of clients and families through counseling and the use of the very best legal-technical knowledge available is the practical mission of Elville and Associates.  To learn more, visit www.elvilleassociates.com, or call 443-393-7696. Elville and Associates – Planning for Life, Planning for Legacies

As Originally Appeared in the May 2018 edition of the Bar Bulletin of the Maryland State Bar Association Authored by:  Olivia R. Holcombe-Volke, Partner at Elville and Associates; Melinda Fithen, Associate with Venable LLP; and Brian Weeks, Administrative Law Judge for the Office of Administrative Hearings There is a boom in the number of lawyers practicing in Maryland, according to the ABA National Lawyer Population Survey. Over the last decade, the number of lawyers in Maryland has increased by 84 percent to a total of 38,000 members of the bar. With so many attorneys, one would think that securing sufficient pro bono representation for Maryland residents in need would be no problem, right? Wrong. Statistics show that the majority of Maryland attorneys do not participate in pro bono work early in their careers. According to the Maryland Courts 2016 Pro Bono Report, 58 percent of full-time Maryland lawyers did not provide pro bono service in their first five years of being barred. It is during this critical time, when new lawyers are taking on a competitive legal job market and trying to establish themselves professionally, that pro bono work can be the most rewarding and fruitful. The Need is Real Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service (MVLS), the largest provider of pro bono civil legal services to low-income Marylanders, estimates that there is one attorney for every 3,600 pro bono clients. Now is the time for new attorneys to explore pro bono service, for their careers and for their communities. Pro Bono Pays Back When attorneys invest their time in pro bono work, it pays them back generously. As successful Maryland attorneys, and members of MVLS’s new volunteer engagement initiative – Community Advocacy Network (CAN), – we can share several reasons why it is vital to take on pro bono cases early in an attorney’s legal career. Mentorship from practicing Maryland attorneys Mentorship is a crucial part of professional development for newly barred attorneys. By joining a pro bono legal services organization, attorneys will learn from the wisdom and experience of other lawyers who can provide mentorship for a variety of case types, as well as client relations (specifically, how to navigate different client interactions while being sensitive to the clients’ situations). Expanding legal skills Participating in pro bono can introduce new attorneys to different areas of the law while also giving them the opportunity to experience new things, such as serving as first chair on a trial, working directly with clients, or doing transactional work. Attorneys can gain courtroom experience in a variety of practice areas, including child custody, landlord/tenant disputes, debt collection and tort defense. Alternatively, volunteers can choose cases that do not require litigation such as estate planning, estate administration, expungement, or contract review. Developing a legal network Doing pro bono work helps lawyers expand their networks by connecting them with local bar leaders, attorney pioneers, and members of the bench. It can expose a new attorney to professionals working at large and small law firms, or those who have chosen the solo route. Relationships established through pro bono work may even lead to full-time employment or profitable billable client referrals. Establishing community ties Building an important network through pro bono work is not limited to fellow attorneys - it can also mean the opportunity to connect with a variety of community organizations, like House of Ruth, Helping Up Mission, CASA de Maryland and CASH Campaign, among many others. By broadening their horizons in this way, new attorneys will begin to feel like they can make a difference in their communities using the expertise and knowledge they possess. Providing legal assistance to Marylanders in need One of the most powerful reasons to participate in pro bono legal services is to help other people who have nothing to give but their gratitude. Earning a law degree is a remarkable accomplishment. Being able to interpret the law is not something every person can do. By offering their unique skills to the less fortunate, pro bono attorneys can advocate for children and families, protect seniors from the damaging effects of scams, contribute to workforce reentry, and stabilize Maryland communities. The future of pro bono in Maryland depends on every single attorney who is reading this article. There is an abundance of opportunity for new attorneys who are just starting their career, as well as a need for more seasoned attorneys to donate their time and experience to this critical work. To learn more about joining MVLS CAN, and how to get involved in pro bono work, please visit mvlslaw.org/mvls-can. Melinda Fithen is an Associate with Venable LLP. Olivia Holcombe-Volke is a Partner at Elville & Associates, P.C. and Brian Weeks is an Administrative Law Judge for the Office of Administrative Hearings. They are all members of Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service (MVLS) Community Advocacy Network (CAN).

By:  Jeffrey D. Stauffer – Community Relations Director, jeff@elvilleassociates.com, 443-393-7696 On Thursday, January 24 th, for a fourth consecutive year families of students at the Harbour School at Annapolis came out to listen to Elville and Associates’ principal Stephen R. Elville, J.D., LL.M., present a far-reaching discussion about “What Families Need to Know About Planning for a Loved One with Special Needs.” Through Elville and Associates’ and Mr. Elville’s commitment to education, attendees came to understand what is involved in the planning process for a special needs family and the importance of preserving the loved one’s financial security and quality of life. The key issues of understanding the role of public benefits, making decisions about the future, and using estate planning and trusts to protect assets was discussed along with the types of special needs trusts and their specific purposes, along with who the decision makers and beneficiaries can be in these trusts. The “planning team concept” was also introduced — how a family’s’ attorney, financial advisor, CPA, and others can work together to help provide them peace of mind during the special needs planning process and beyond. In a recently-developed partnership with Elville and Associates, Mr. Elville and the firm were pleased to welcome Mr. John Shatto, ABLE Ambassador with Maryland ABLE, to the presentation.  Mr. Shatto’s charismatic discussion led families through the latest information about Maryland ABLE accounts, a new way to help individuals with disabilities save money and pay for qualified disability-related expenses without jeopardizing state or federal means-tested benefits such as SSI or Medicaid.  His insights added great value to the evening’s discussion, and Elville and Associates is looking forward to many more joint events with Mr. Shatto and Maryland ABLE.  To learn more about Maryland ABLE, visit www.marylandable.org. Elville and Associates has partnered with both Harbour School campuses to offer special needs planning workshops to its families for the past four years, and the firm values its relationship with this high-level special needs school.  The firm’s attorneys engage clients in a multi-step educational process to create solutions for its clients’ needs ensure that estate, special needs, and elder law planning works from inception, throughout lifetime, and at administration. Clients are encouraged to take advantage of the “planning team concept” for leading-edge, customized planning. The education of clients and their families through counseling and superior legal-technical knowledge is the mission of the attorneys at Elville and Associates. With offices in Columbia, Annapolis, Baltimore, and Rockville, Elville and Associates proudly serves clients in central Maryland, the Washington metro area, and the Eastern Shore.  Visit www.elvilleassociates-staging.bgbshlgq-liquidwebsites.com to learn more.

There are right ways and wrong ways to go about rightsizing, home selling, and selecting your new home, and it’s never fun having to experience the “learning curve,” especially if it’s been many years since you have moved. The process of home selling has changed greatly thanks to technology and the invention of the Internet.  Expectations by Buyers are also very different these days, making an experienced agent invaluable for guidance and advocacy.  Remember, feeling that the move (the house, the contents, choosing where to move, setting up a new home) will be overwhelming is normal! In my role as my Team’s senior move specialist, my joy is to work along with our real estate agents to help our older adult clients navigate the entire process with a complete array of resources and services in full support, all the way through settlement and beyond. Previously in this newsletter, I provided guidance on choosing the right agent, what happens during the home visit by the agent including an examination of market analysis & pricing, timing of the sale, and staging.  Next steps for navigating the process? Relocating: Where are you going? This is one of the first questions your Agent should ask in order to understand the overview of your needs and to create your best path. Different and common scenarios include moving to a condo or one-level home, in with adult children, moving out of state to retirement meccas such as Florida and Arizona, and moving to local retirement communities. One of my passions is making sure that Sellers are as educated as possible about all of the choices available to them. Many people don’t know the very important differences between 55+, CCRC, Independent or Assisted Living communities and the health and financial formats for each can vary greatly. For example, some communities require health as well as financial clearances, some have buy-in fees and some do not. Some are fee-simple ownership and some have leases, even if they appear to be similar. If you are moving to a location that has not incorporated safety features found in “universal design” construction, be sure to ask for resources for the specialty companies who install grab bars for example, as these can literally be life-savers. Sometimes in-home care is needed if your loved one has been ill and needs help in the interim before the move. I take pride in being able to share these resources as well. Senior Living Search: Did you know that there are specialists who can help with your research into the various kinds of senior living communities? Life Care Managers are able to help guide you to the communities that would be your best fit and are also able to provide assessments for level of care, family counseling, and to be a part of the conversation between legal and financial advisors for families when a move is happening quickly or unexpectedly due to health events or the loss of a loved one. Sharing this resource with my clients is often a life-saver for families when events feel overwhelming and an expert is needed. Downsizing: Downsizing possessions is your next target. Ideally you have been chipping away at this task well ahead of time, as it can be a lot to tackle simultaneously with preparing your actual home. You will want to have a grasp of the square footage and storage you’re leaving and those figures for where you’re moving to, and you’ll also want a space plan to help you decide what you will want to take and, more importantly, what will fit, look great and serve you in your new home. Once you know what you’re taking, decide what you’d like to offer to family and friends if treasured heirlooms or larger pieces just don’t work in the new space. Hold on to everything else in order to research and have the best outcome from a potential estate sale. The more items you have, the larger the sale, the more likely you are to have a higher-dollar final sale, so don’t let your items be “cherry-picked” prior to having a professional consult with an estate sale expert. Then you can identify what items aren’t saleable and arrange for donation and maybe a tax benefit. Finally, you may need your home to be “cleared” of any last items, which can be done by friends & family or by a professional hauler. Moving: If it’s been years since you have moved, you should rely on your Agent for recommendations for a trusted professional mover who is well-established and also offers short and long-term storage. For short-distance and smaller moves, some real estate firms offer free moving trucks as a convenience and cost-savings to their clients. Move Managers, also called Transitioners or Downsizers, are a relatively new type of moving service and they can be a boon to you if you are overwhelmed, busy, distracted, and in need of “more” than what an ordinary moving company is able to provide. These providers can help coordinate work being done to prepare the home for selling, estate sale processes, space planning the new home, sorting, packing, the actual move, unpacking and setting up on move-in day. Think boxes gone, pictures hung, clothes in closets and beds made. They are an amazing resource and the best ones work closely with your Agent. Power Of Attorney: I have many stories about the problems my clients have faced when they did not have a Power of Attorney in place. Many clients have one that turns out to be non-functional due to being old or “stale” or written without sufficient detail such that it is not enforceable. Make sure you have one, and make sure it’s recent and air-tight! Unforeseen health events that cause homeowners to be unable to complete contracts during the home selling process have caused a lot of heartache, trouble, expense and complete destruction of planned-for timelines in the sale/move/purchase timetable. Consulting your current attorney, or better yet, upgrading to an elder law specialist, is one of the best things you can do for yourself, your spouse, and your family. Financial Management: Even though the demands of selling and moving make you extremely busy in the short term, this is still a time when it is ideal to revisit or create the best financial structure for your future. Think both big and small picture. Having guidance for the savviest ways to handle your homeselling profit, your retirement community’s buy-in expenses, understanding capital gains, etc. are important opportunities to design the best outcome for the long term. For the day-to-day, I like to make sure there is awareness of professionals called Daily Money Managers. They are exactly what they sound like and are an important resource for people who no longer want the tasks associated with managing their finances, who are struggling to maintain them due to health reasons or the demands of technology, and perhaps most importantly for spouses who are at sea if the managing spouse becomes ill and is no longer able to maintain the household accounts. I strongly encourage all of my clients to consult with a Daily Money Manager as part of their pre-crisis planning, and if health issues are already looming, do not wait to learn about this service and put it in place. The opportunity for teamwork between the professional and both spouses is a golden one, and early intervention means that the ill spouse can be a part of the hand-off, and that a non-managing spouse can have peace of mind should anything unexpected occur going forward. VA Benefit: In the spirit of understanding there’s a lot going on when you’re selling your home BUT you don’t want to miss out on any resources to which you are entitled, please know about the Veterans Administration’s “Aid & Attendance Benefit” which can provide monthly income for Veterans and their spouses at the Assisted Living level of care. Having an elder law attorney who is certified to guide you on eligibility and the chance to learn about how he or she can help you to structure your assets to better position you for eligibility is an opportunity you don’t want to miss. Again, think pre-crisis research and planning! For the past several years, twenty-five percent of all home sellers in the U.S. have been 65 years old or older. Being a home seller is a powerful position to be in both as a group and as an individual! I believe in harnessing all of the resources available to my clients with an emphasis on educating and supporting them along the way. My goal is for my clients to have the smoothest transition possible, with the clearest path to an organized, relaxed, risk-managed new and easier lifestyle! Victoria Hathaway is the Director of The Silver Group of the Bob Lucido Team of Keller Williams Integrity. She is a Realtor, Certified Senior Advisor (CSA), Certified Senior Housing Professional (CSHP), Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES), Board Member of the Coalition of Geriatric Services (COGS), and serves the Aging Studies Advisory Board, Johns Hopkins University. She may be reached at 410-979-4284 or via email at Victoria@BobLucidoTeam.com.

On Wednesday, May 23, I attended the McDaniel College Center for Aging’s update on Aging in Place. Not surprising, the results of a recent survey given to those over 60 indicated that over 90 percent of the aging population (which is rapidly growing) wants to age in their own home. The exciting news is that more and more services are available to those who wish to “Age In Place.” The reality is that most are unaware of those services which exist and how to find them. Another reality, those services are fee for service not covered by insurance or subsidies. And finally, what the survey did not ask, are you willing to do what it takes to actually have the possibility of successfully aging in place? It seems that everyone wants in on this new catch-phrase and yet the number of people who are willing to make the lifestyle, health or economic changes to be successful pale in comparison. So what does it require on your part to age in place? First, proper planning and setting reasonable expectations is essential. If you wish to age in place, you just can’t “wish” it, you have to be proactive. Assuming that your home is an appropriate setting and refusing to make the appropriate modifications if necessary will most certainly not achieve the desired result. It is important to take a good objective look at your current living environment. Is it safe and accessible? You may not be the one to make that determination. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard, “that rug is fine, it’s been there for 30 years and I’ve never had a problem.” You might not be shocked if you’re the child of a parent who has been putting up the good fight against change. Ah, change. It’s the resistance to change that usually results in the change that we try so hard to control. We won’t change, we don’t need to change, we’re fine … And then the crisis that brings us to the very thing we fear the most — dependence on others. If only we were hard-wired to roll with change and go with it before we are dragged there, things would be so much easier. But we aren’t, at least most of us. So instead of putting some doubled-sided tape on the rug that slides under your feet or removing it, we say, “It’s fine.” Instead of moving to a home whether it be an apartment, accessible home or retirement community, we trudge up and down the steps with bad knees until we can’t and then it happens, the dreaded dependence. Aging in place is entirely possible if you are open-minded and make a plan. If you think it’s just going to happen, you may be disappointed. The survey, which asked if people wished to age in their homes, had some responses that indicated that they did not. Perhaps some of those people were realistic and knew that they must make a transition to a new home or living environment in order to age in place. Planning cannot start too soon. What is it that you intend to do? Where do you intend to live? Is it accessible should the unexpected happen and you need to live on one floor with a full bath and all the things you need? Do you have doorways and a shower that can accommodate a wheelchair if needed for recovery from surgery? If you want the best shot at continuing in your own home as you age, staving off chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes is important. Improving or staying healthy requires a healthy lifestyle and exercise. It’s not too late to become motivated to get up and get moving. The single best thing you can do is exercise 30 minutes per day. Do something, walk, play pickle ball, garden, exercise in a chair, whatever it takes to keep yourself moving! I can’t help but remember the back of a T-shirt on a man I was following while running in a race: “I’m running faster than the guy sitting on the sofa!” So get out there and walk, run or raise you legs in a chair faster than the guy sitting on the sofa! Do what it takes to have a shot at the golden dream: Aging In Place. Jill Rosner is a registered nurse, certified geriatric care manager and owner of Rosner Healthcare Navigation.  She provides patient advocacy and care management services to clients with health and aging issues.  Contact her at JillRosnerRN@aol.com

This past spring, Olivia R. Holcombe-Volke, Partner with Elville and Associates, co-founded the Community Advocacy Network (CAN), an initiative within the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service that inspires new attorneys and law students to give low-income Marylanders equal access to justice through pro bono work. The MVLS is a private, non-profit legal services provider established in 1981 to help meet the need for civil legal services in Maryland that provides quality civil legal assistance to Marylanders with limited income at low or no cost. Already a volunteer attorney with MVLS for the last 4 years, Ms. Holcombe-Volke, always an advocate for positive change in the communities in which she serves, worked for several months with the other founding members to make CAN a reality. “Having served as a volunteer attorney with various pro bono legal services organizations for the majority of my years in practice, it is tremendously exciting to be a founding member of MVLS CAN,” said Ms. Holcombe-Volke.  “This initiative is aimed at connecting new attorneys – and sometimes, attorneys who are simply “new” to pro bono – with the vast resources available to them through MVLS and its network of volunteer attorneys, all with the end goal of increasing available pro bono services for the many Marylanders in need.” For more information about the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service and the Community Advocacy Network, visit mvlslaw.org/mvls-can/.

As the Client Care Program nears its two-year anniversary, the mission of the CCP (“planning that works”) remains the same – to provide CCP members with the comfort and assurance that their estate and elder law plans will stay updated over the passage of time and that clients and their families receive the education they need.  Though its mission remains the same, the CCP continues to grow in scope as CCP Member benefits grow, including most recently the ability for Members to participate in their own archival family video production at the Elville Creative Studio.  Members are encouraged to express themselves and share whatever they want future generations to remember – their wishes for family, values important to them, old stories they want to pass down for generations to come, and much more.  There are no limits, the creative possibilities are endless. Elville and Associates’ first CCP Continuing Legal Education Event of the year, “A Round Table Discussion on the New Federal Income and Estate Tax Code (The 2017 Tax Act),” was held on Saturday, April 28th at the the Arnold campus of Anne Arundel Community College.  Guests were entertained and educated by Katz Abosch’s CPAs James Eaton and Michael Andrews along with Elville and Associates’ Principal Stephen Elville.  Yes, entertained!  These CPAs were colorful and brought the December 2017 Tax Act to life as they explored a broad overview of the huge changes in the laws. The CCP’s second annual Social Event took place on Sunday, August 19th, as Members and their families enjoyed a matinee showing of the smash-hit musical, “Mamma Mia,” at Toby’s Dinner Theatre in Columbia.  After a delicious breakfast buffet was served before the sold-out show, guests were whisked away to the show’s setting, a Greek Island in the Mediterranean Sea, as extraordinary acting and memorable ABBA songs such as “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!,” “Lay All Your Love on Me,” “Take a Chance on Me,” “The Winner Takes It All” and, of course, “Dancing Queen” entertained and transported everyone back to a younger time, some forty years ago.  As The Baltimore Sun’s review of the show stated, “If you didn’t know you were at a dinner theatre, you’d think you were at a disco!” Elville and Associates’ 6th annual Client Event will be held on Saturday, October 20th, 2018 from 8:30 to noon at the Retreat and Conference Center at Bon Secours in Marriottsville.  This year’s theme is “Understanding Medicare Concepts 2018 – A Continuing Discussion with Mark W. Trent of Medicare Supplement Services.”  By popular demand, we are fortunate to have the engaging and informative Mr. Trent back again this year to update guests about the ongoing changes in the world of Medicare along with presentations by the Firm’s attorneys about Healthcare Decision Making in 2018; Maryland Law Update; Funding and ) Asset Alignment Retrospect; and Client Care Program Experience.  Along with the superb lineup of speakers, delicious food, door prizes, and gift baskets will once again highlight the morning.  Entertainment will be provided by the Max Vanderbeek Jazz Group – a professional jazz trio led by one of the Elville Center for the Creative Arts’ finest school partners and music directors, Dr. Maximus VanDerbeek of Wiley H. Bates Middle School in Annapolis.  Invitations will be forthcoming in The CCP’s final Continuing Legal Education Event of the year is scheduled for Saturday, December 8th, 2018, at the John A. Cade Center for Fine Arts.  Our guest speaker will be Ellen Platt, Geriatric/Life Care Manager with The Option Group, and her presentation, “Navigating Longevity,” will cover an overview of geriatric care management; cognition, brain health, and dementia; care options; and the importance of taking care of the caregiver.  Invitations and more information about this event will be provided in late October. To learn more about the CCP, its many benefits and how to become a Member, please contact Mary Guay Kramer, Client Care Program Coordinator, at 443-741-3635 or mary@elvilleassociates.com.

I was going to write a piece about pianists in the first part of the 19th century, and while doing my research, realized that one can’t really discuss this era of pianists without looking at a famous violinist. To begin, keyboard players in the baroque and classical eras were generally taught to sit straight, not move around very much, and keep the hands right over the keyboard.  Quite frankly, that was the best way to play the instruments of that time.  The organ, the harpsichord, and the clavichord were the primary keyboard instruments, and a soft touch was really all that was required.  The harpsichord and clavichord didn’t have a dynamic range (changing volume), and achieving that on the organ required the use of additional stops and opening the swell pedal to get more into the pipes.  The keyboard itself had nothing to do with it.  In fact, we know from CPE Bach that his father (Johann Sebastian), the greatest keyboard player of his time, didn’t press on the keys so much as he “stroked” them. Carl said that his father kept his fingers curved, and would basically draw back on a finger to play a note.  An interesting technique that would work for an organ or harpsichord, but not very well for a piano.  That is perhaps why, when J.S. Bach visited the court of King Frederick the Great of Prussia, where his son Carl was the court harpsichordist, that when introduced to a pianoforte built by Silberman (one of the most respected organ and harpsichord builders of the time) that he was dissatisfied with the instrument.  That did not sit well with Silberman. The piano was invented around 1700 by Bartolomeo Christophori.  The original name of the instrument was “Gravicembalo col piano e forte.”  That means, “large harpsichord with soft and loud.”  This became shortened to “pianoforte.”  The first ones probably didn’t sound that great, and there was a lot of developing that had to happen over the next couple of decades.  During the first part of Mozart’s life, the harpsichord was still the primary keyboard instrument.  The pianoforte was considered still somewhat experimental.  Designs improved over the years, and before too long, the pianoforte (or fortepiano as it was called in England) eclipsed the harpsichord, which became an anachronism.  Muzio Clementi is considered the father of the pianoforte because it is felt that he was the first composer to really approach the instrument as a new instrument, and not as a modified harpsichord.  A new style of writing was needed for this instrument, and it was Clementi that set the standard. By the 1830’s, the pianoforte was pretty much the instrument that we know today.  Makers such as Steinway, Erard and Playel improved the sound, the range, and the reliability of the instruments.  This paved the way for the great surge of piano virtuosos in the 19th century. This is where we stop looking at pianists and discuss a violinist.  Nicolo Paganini was the greatest violinist of his time, perhaps the greatest who ever lived.  He was not only a musical genius, but he was also the first musical PR genius.  He ws able to do things on the violin that nobody had ever seen before, and back in those dark days it was thought that the only way someone could do that would be if he were in league with the devil.  When Paganini heard that story, he hit upon the most brilliant musical marketing campaign ever.  He was tall and gaunt, which gave him a somewhat fiendish appearance.  Couple that with wearing a long black cloak, and arranging stage lighting so that he was lit from below only, and then gesticulating wildly while playing unbelievable music on the violin, and he would fill the concert hall every time.  It is hard to imagine how one musician could capture the world’s attention like that, but he did, and one of the first people to really take note of it was Franz Liszt. Liszt was fascinated with Paganini, and realized that if that sort of thing could work for him, why should it not work for a pianist?  Thus was born the “pianist performer.”  Gone were the days of sitting still at the keyboard with fingers curved and never lifting more than an inch above the keys. The modern pianoforte allowed one to play loudly, and that was achieved by hitting the keys harder, and that meant raising your hands way above the keyboard to come crashing down in an explosion of sound.  Additionally, the innovation of dampening and sustain pedals gave the pianist the opportunity to pull off some of the same stunts on their instrument that Paganini did on his.  Before you knew it, there were touring virtuosos all over the place, and each one had his own trademark.  Sigismond Thalberg  developed a technique that created the impression of a third hand at the keyboard.  Alexander Dreyshock astounded listeners with his freakish technique playing thirds, sixths, and octaves.  It was said that he could play Chopin’s “revolutionary “etude at tempo in octaves. Of course, there was Chopin.  Perhaps the most refined of them all.  He could do anything the others did, but just couldn’t do it very loudly.  It was said that his dynamic range was amazing but never got very loud.  This served him well when playing for small groups, which was his preference.  He once said of Liszt, “he plays my music the way I wish I could.”  Chopin was plagued with ill health much of his life, and was too weak to play with great force. He compensated for it with great sensitivity, and a rubato that, by all accounts, could not be matched. Of course, there was Liszt. He was the standard by which every touring virtuoso measured himself, and most came up short.  He was a rock star in his day.  Women would swoon and actually throw their underwear at him! How ’bout that, Tom Jones!  Liszt was important not only in developing piano technique, but in fostering interest in musicians that might otherwise be forgotten.  Let’s not forget that Franz Schubert was relatively unknown outside of Vienna.  Liszt was a great advocate of his music and really brought it to the attention of the rest of Europe.  He was also generous with young composers and helped them when he could.  There is the story of young Edvard Grieg approaching Liszt with his recently completed piano concerto, and asking the maestro if he might be willing to look it over and tell him what he thought.  Liszt took the music from the young Norwegian, went the piano, and sightread it, doing a reduction from the orchestral score as he played!  They don’t make ’em like that anymore. Well, I suppose I could go on and one, but we’ll save something for the next time we are together.