Special Needs Trusts

Special Needs Trusts and the Purchase of a Vehicle

This issue of The Voice was written by Special Needs Alliance member Patricia A. Nelson-Reade, Esq., an attorney with Nelson-Reade Law Office, P.C. of Portland, Maine. Her practice focuses on special needs planning, elder law and estate planning and administration. Patricia is also a registered nurse. She has been selected by her peers for inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America, been recognized as a "super lawyer" by the New England Super Lawyers publication for her work in elder law, and was named in the Inaugural Edition of the U.S. News Best Lawyers, Best Law Firms, again in the area of elder law. Patricia has continuously received the highest rating in ethics and has been classified as a preeminent lawyer under the Martindale-Hubbell peer review. She often lectures to the public and professionals on special needs planning and special needs trusts.

2024-05-06T14:28:45-04:00Tags: |
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SNAP! Food Assistance for Persons with Disabilities

The Voice is the e-mail newsletter of The Special Needs Alliance. This installment was written by Special Needs Alliance member Laurie Hanson, Esq., a shareholder in the Minneapolis, Minnesota elder law firm of Long, Reher & Hanson, P.A. The firm's focus is to provide positive strategies to individuals who are aging or living with disabilities to enable them to live as independently as possible for as long as possible. Laurie concentrates her practice exclusively in the areas of government benefit eligibility, special needs trusts, trust and public benefit litigation, estate planning and planning for incapacity. She is the past president of the Elder Law Section of the Minnesota State Bar Association and is repeatedly named a Super Lawyer in the field of elder law by her peers.

2024-05-06T14:28:00-04:00Tags: |
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Funding a Special Needs Trust with Life Insurance

This issue of The Voice is written by Ken W. Shulman, Esq. who is a partner in the Boston, Massachusetts, office of Day Pitney LLP. Ken focuses his practice on estate planning and related issues for families who have children with disabilities and on elder law. He has served as a board member for several human service agencies including the Greater Boston ARC and presently serves as a board member for the Asperger's Association of New England. He also serves on the Combined Jewish Philanthropies Committee on Disabilities and previously served on the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. He is a co-author of Managing a Special Needs Trust, People with Disabilities Press (2010). Ken often serves as a trustee of special needs trusts at his clients' request.

Ken is a member of the Special Needs Alliance, a national, non-profit organization committed to helping individuals with disabilities, their families, and the professionals who represent them. Contact information for a member in your state can be obtained by calling toll-free 1-877-572-8472, or by visiting: www.specialneedsalliance.org.

2024-05-06T14:27:15-04:00
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Buying a House – More Questions

This issue of The Voice is written by Martha C. Brown, CELA, a Special Needs Alliance member in St. Louis, Missouri. Martha limits her practice to elder law and special needs law. A Fellow of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and a Certified Elder Law Attorney, Martha has been designated a Super Lawyer for the last six years in Kansas City Magazine. Through her numerous community presentations and continuing legal education presentations, Martha helps attorneys and the public understand and address legal issues concerning the elderly and people with disabilities. Currently Martha is participating in the state wide task force to rewrite the guardianship code in Missouri.

2024-05-06T14:24:50-04:00Tags: |
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What Are You Waiting For?

This week's installment comes from Special Needs Alliance co-founder Robert B. Fleming, CELA, an attorney at Fleming & Curti, PLC, in Tucson, Arizona. Robert is a long-time advocate for those with disabilities and their families. He and his firm help with estate planning, guardianship, and trust administration (including special needs trust administration). Robert is also an author and a frequent lecturer on special needs issues.

2024-06-19T10:30:02-04:00Tags: , |
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A Few Thoughts about Special Needs Planning for Mental Illness

By Shawn Majette, Esq. Advance planning is essential in providing for the well-being of an individual with severe mental illness. The shifting presentation of its symptoms, however, demands an adjustable approach. While even a person with severe mental illness may usually be perfectly competent, modest changes in circumstances can rapidly cause a sharp and devastating [...]

2024-05-09T15:15:07-04:00
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Is a Qualified Disability Trust Appropriate?

The Voice is the email newsletter of The Special Needs Alliance. This installment was written by Special Needs Alliance member Elizabeth L. Gray, Esq., of the Fairfax, Virginia law firm of Cossa, Gray and O'Reilly, PLC, where she focuses her practice on special needs planning, elder law and general estate planning and administration. Elizabeth writes and lectures frequently on issues affecting seniors, individuals with disabilities and their families. She has been recognized as one of the best attorneys in Washingtonian Magazine and Northern Virginia Magazine and has been selected as a Super Lawyer for Washington D.C. and Virginia.

Readers of this article are referred to the January 24, 2012 issue of The Voice, "A Short Primer on Trusts and Taxation" by Special Needs Alliance members Barbara S. Hughes and Tara Anne Pleat, that they may want to review in conjunction with this article.

2024-05-06T14:20:54-04:00Tags: |
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A Short Primer on Trusts and Trust Taxation

The Voice is the e-mail newsletter of The Special Needs Alliance. This installment was written by Special Needs Alliance members Barbara Hughes, Esq. of Madison, Wisconsin and Tara Anne Pleat, Esq. of Clifton Park, New York. Barbara is a partner in the law firm of Hill, Glowacki, Jaeger & Hughes, LLP, where her practice is focused on special needs planning, elder law, and general estate planning and administration. A Fellow and past board member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), in recent years she has consistently been recognized as one of the city's best attorneys in Madison Magazine and selected as a Wisconsin estate planning and probate Super Lawyer in Law and Politics Magazine, ranking since 2009 as one of Wisconsin's 25 top women attorneys. Tara is a founding partner of the law firm of Wilcenski & Pleat PLLC in Clifton Park, New York. She practices in the areas of Special Needs Planning, Elder Law, and Trust and Estate Planning and Administration. Tara writes and lectures frequently on issues affecting individuals with disabilities and their families.

2024-05-06T14:20:04-04:00
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Accessible Transportation Is Key to Independence

By Richard A. Courtney, CELA Accessible transportation is central to quality of life for individuals with disabilities. Unfortunately, it's just one more public service that has fallen victim to budget-cutting. I know that what I'm observing here in Jackson, Mississippi, is replicated throughout the U.S. Too few routes and wheelchair-accessible buses to support a growing [...]

2024-05-07T14:38:40-04:00
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The Trust Protector as Insurance Policy

By Robert B. Fleming, CELA Planning for the lifelong care of a loved one with special needs is daunting. Even the most carefully constructed special needs trust can't be expected to account for all contingencies. Appointing a trust protector can provide added security when you're no longer able to monitor the trust's management yourself. Because [...]

2024-05-07T14:36:16-04:00
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Special Needs Information on the Internet: Proceed with Caution

The Voice is the e-mail newsletter of The Special Needs Alliance. This installment’s author is Edward V. Wilcenski, Esq., a founding partner of the law firm of Wilcenski & Pleat PLLC in Clifton Park, New York. He practices in the areas of special needs planning, elder law and trust and estate planning and administration. A member and past president of the Special Needs Alliance, Ed writes and lectures frequently on issues affecting individuals with disabilities and their families.

2024-05-06T14:13:56-04:00
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Why Siblings Shouldn’t Be SNT Trustees

By Stephen W. Dale, Esq. It may be counter-intuitive, but when considering trustees for your child's special needs trust (SNT), naming a sibling - or another family member - is not a good idea. Having them on the front line for day-to-day activities could be a disservice to everyone involved. A more successful model, instead, [...]

2021-07-20T16:07:54-04:00
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Transition Planning Should Start Early

By Ann McGee Green, Esq. Transition planning, which readies a young person with disabilities for adulthood, should ideally begin at the age of 14 or 15. At that time, the teen, parents, and educators should discuss the skills that will be needed to support "life after school." Will college be an option? Is employment likely? [...]

2024-05-07T14:35:14-04:00
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Buying a House for a Special Needs Beneficiary: Proceed with Care!

The Voice is the email newsletter of The Special Needs Alliance. This installment was written by Special Needs Alliance member Martha C. Brown, CELA, at the St. Louis, Missouri law firm of Martha C. Brown & Associates, LLC. She limits her practice to elder law and special needs law. A Fellow of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and a Certified Elder Law Attorney, Martha has been designated a Super Lawyer in Kansas City Magazine for the last five years. Through her continuing legal education presentations and community presentations, Martha helps attorneys and the public understand and address legal issues concerning the elderly and people with disabilities.

2024-04-22T16:30:36-04:00Tags: |
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The Impact of Special Needs Trusts on Eligibility for Subsidized Housing

The Voice is the e-mail newsletter of The Special Needs Alliance. This installment was written by Massachusetts Special Needs Alliance member Emily S. Starr, CELA, an attorney with Starr Vander Linden LLC with offices in Worcester & Fitchburg, Massachusetts. Her practice focuses on estate planning, elder law, and government benefits issues for families which include individuals with special needs. Emily is a Fellow of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, the 2007 recipient of The Theresa Award, a national honor recognizing extraordinary contributions of attorneys to the community of individuals with disabilities, and a recipient of the 2008 Scholar Mentor Award from Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, Inc.

2024-04-22T16:22:39-04:00Tags: |
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The Past, Present and Future of Community Living for Persons with Disabilities – A Christmas Carol

The Voice is the e-mail newsletter of The Special Needs Alliance. This installment was written by Walnut Creek, California Special Needs Alliance member Stephen W. Dale, Esq. of The Dale Law Firm, PC. Mr. Dale is a disability rights advocate and attorney dedicated to providing quality estate planning. He is a frequent speaker on a variety of disability related topics across the country. Mr. Dale regularly teaches courses to the public, financial professionals, and other attorneys on special needs trusts and trust administration. Additionally, Mr. Dale serves as the trustee for the Golden State Pooled Trust. Mr. Dale offers numerous videos and handouts to the public and his colleagues, many online through his Achieving Independence initiative.

2024-04-29T10:33:58-04:00Tags: |
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Planning Options With Retirement Benefits

The Voice is the e-mail newsletter of The Special Needs Alliance. This installment was written by Special Needs Alliance member Ken W. Shulman, Esq., a partner in the Boston, Massachusetts office of Day Pitney LLP. His practice includes estate planning and related issues for families who have children with disabilities, and elder law. He presently serves on the board of the Asperger's Association of New England and on the Combined Jewish Philanthropies Committee on Disabilities. He previously served on the board of the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. He is a co-author of Special Needs Trust Administration Manual, A Guide for Trustees, available through DisABILITIESBOOKS.

2024-04-22T16:06:47-04:00Tags: |
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Crummey Doesn’t Mean Lousy

The Voice is the e-mail newsletter of The Special Needs Alliance. This installment was written by H. Amos Goodall, Jr., CELA of the State College, Pennsylvania law firm Goodall & Yurchak, P.C. His practice emphasizes estate planning and implementation for elders, persons with special needs and their families. A member of the Special Needs Alliance and of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Amos is also a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel

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2024-04-22T16:04:22-04:00Tags: |
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Taxes and Special Needs Trusts

The Voice is the e-mail newsletter of The Special Needs Alliance. This installment was written by Lisa Nachmias Davis, CELA and Shawn L. O'Sullivan, who practice law in New Haven Connecticut as two-thirds of the firm Davis O'Sullivan & Priest LLC. Lisa is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. Shawn has handled trust accounting and tax returns for over twenty-five years. Lisa is a member of the Special Needs Alliance, a national organization committed to helping individuals with disabilities, their families, and the professionals who represent them.

2024-04-22T15:46:26-04:00Tags: |
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Medicare Premium Rules Will Affect Some Large Trusts

The Voice is the e-mail newsletter of The Special Needs Alliance. This installment was written by Nancy Gibson, Esq., a Montana elder law and disability law attorney. Her Missoula-based practice spans the state of Montana. She is a member and past director of The Special Needs Alliance, an invitation-only organization of attorneys specializing in special needs and settlement planning. She is actively involved with the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), an organization dedicated to improving the lives of the elderly and persons with special needs. She currently is serving a second two-year term on the NAELA board of directors. Ms. Gibson limits her practice to elder and disability law, including estate planning and administration, but the majority of her cases involve special needs trusts and/or settlement planning.

2024-04-22T15:43:34-04:00Tags: |
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