Justin Cates - Legal Consulting

08/08/2023

🚨 Free Guide Alert

In this guide, you’ll learn how to present your solo law firm and the best practices for a digital marketing plan to bring clients in.

06/13/2022

So very excited about the opportunity to present at the 2022 NALA Expo here in Phoenix. Not only will it be great to network with like-minded legal professionals, but thrilled to further the footprint of Synergy as an expert post settlement partner to trial attorneys in the Arizona market.

This past year has been a blessing and can't wait to count the number of families we will have the pleasure of helping over the next year...

Synergy Settlement Services

05/30/2022

Helping you get better, 1% at a time. This can be a tool, if you so choose. Trial Lawyers Assemble.

Trial Lawyer View was highlighted as an effective legal podcast on The Legal Examiner. Legal Examiner said, “The podcast’s purpose is clear: they talk about relevant issues trial lawyers face and discuss how to improve the industry.” Podcasts are outlined as an effective way to brand your law ...

05/23/2022

In revisiting Synergy's archive of blogs I found this one particularly good. Informative and to the point. In my many trial lawyer interactions I have found that y'all unpack liens very differently and this post explores a proper framework and approach. Enjoy the week ahead and I hope you find this helpful. Synergy is here to do just that.

August 12, 2021 Teresa Kenyon, Esq. When handling a third-party liability case and you know your client had health insurance that paid the medical expenses, should you check to see if there is a lien interest on the settlement funds? Or maybe you have settled a case and you just received a notice le...

04/25/2022

This 3.5 minute vlog explores what makes Synergy different and how to engage. Contact me directly for more information. We are here for trial attorneys everywhere.

HOW TO WORK WITH US Partnering with Synergy The conclusion of a personal injury case has become increasingly complex requiring more and more time as well as energy. Synergy is a powerful expert and efficiency partner for plaintiff personal injury law firms who are dealing with the “case after the ...

04/18/2022

More juice on Medicare Advantage Plans for the injury attorneys in my network:

You represent a client who you know is a Medicare beneficiary, but traditional Medicare isn’t identifying paid claims. Your client likely has a Medicare Advantage Plan. The PAID Act has the potential to make it easier to locate these hidden liens. The risk of not finding them is a private action b...

03/28/2022

Monday morning coffee crystals for the Workers Comp attorneys in my network. Happy to keep you updated.

BLOG POSTS Synergy’s blog brings you the settlement services industry’s foremost thought leadership on matters of healthcare lien resolution, Medicare Secondary Payer compliance, government benefit preservation, complex settlement planning, trust solutions for injury victims and attorney fee def...

03/21/2022

“It is critical to understand the different ways a set aside can be funded so your client can make the best decision possible of how to fund it if a structured settlement will be utilized. According to CMS, an MSA may be funded by either a lump sum payment or by a structured settlement. Although a lump sum MSA may be simpler to administer, there are several benefits to funding an MSA with a structured settlement annuity. One primary benefit is cost savings: it is not uncommon to see a 20-30% cost savings by using a structured settlement to fund an MSA as opposed to a lump sum.”

Director of MSP Compliance Services, Rasa Fumagalli JD, MSCC, CMSP-F, and Director of Case Management, Samantha Webster explains more about the role of structures in funding Medicare Set-Asides here: https://bit.ly/3CG7yQs

It is critical to understand the different ways a set aside can be funded so your client can make the best decision possible of how to fund it if a structured settlement will be utilized. According to CMS, an MSA may be funded by either a lump sum payment or by a structured settlement. Although a lu...

03/04/2022

In an effort to keep your law firm updated regarding any changes in the world of MSP, please take a few moments to review the below update on future meds related to liability matters. Many of you have brought this up. Winter is coming. The time to course-correct is now. Early-Adopters Assemble.

BLOG POSTS Synergy’s blog brings you the settlement services industry’s foremost thought leadership on matters of healthcare lien resolution, Medicare Secondary Payer compliance, government benefit preservation, complex settlement planning, trust solutions for injury victims and attorney fee def...

02/18/2022

“Discussing options for an injured party’s proceeds before settlement or even after the fact when there are additional proceeds from lien savings can be invaluable to the injury victim. This is particularly important when needs-based benefits are being received. When an injured party is the recipient of these benefits, such as Medicaid and/or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) from the Social Security Administration, a common planning decision is to utilize a special needs trust or pooled special needs trust to preserve the entitlement to those benefits.”

Director of Case Management, Samantha Webster and Director of Lien Resolution, Teresa Kenyon, Esq. explain more about Settlement planning opportunities here: https://bit.ly/3rVmaYo

Synergy has successfully reduced the lien asserted against your client’s settlement. It is great news! Because Synergy has reduced the lien, the injured party will net more money from their settlement than they originally expected. So, what should they do with the savings?

01/24/2022

Everyone loves a good white paper, when relevant. This relates to protecting your clients' recovery and does check all boxes so download for free now:

January 10, 2022 When any physical injury victim recovers money either by settlement or by verdict, the question of the tax treatment of said recovery arises. As long as it is compensation for personal physical injuries it is tax-free under Section 104(a)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code.1 Section 10...

01/18/2022

Since half of all of the Structured Settlements we do are for minors, it felt appropriate to share as a reminder that Synergy is here for you and the families you represent.

Structured settlement annuities have long been recommended to aid those with catastrophic personal injuries in planning for their future.