The Voice is SNA’s newsletter, written by our member attorneys for the benefit of families, other attorneys and professionals who work with the special needs community.
These are in depth articles that address the complex issues we each face.
The Other Special Need: Planning for Those with Severe Mental Illness
The Voice is the e-mail newsletter of the Special Needs Alliance. This installment was written by Special Needs Alliance member Shawn Majette, Esq. of Richmond, Virginia. Mr. Majette was recently named to Virginia Lawyers Media 2010 class of Leaders in the Law. This program, now in its fifth year, aims to honor the lawyers who are setting the standard for other lawyers. Mr. Majette has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America in Elder Law since 2007. He is also an active member of NAELA and was recently the focus of the organization's magazine cover story, The Magician of Elder Law. Mr. Majette's many articles can be found on the t-mlaw.com website. Involuntary Civil Commitment is one of the most recent posted online.
Comparing Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
The Voice is the e-mail newsletter of The Special Needs Alliance. This installment was written by Special Needs Alliance members Ann N. Butenhof, CELA and Judith L. Bomster, Esq., of Butenhof & Bomster, PC, in Manchester, New Hampshire (www.butenhofbomster.com). Ann and Judith focus their practices on estate planning, special needs planning, elder law and probate and trust administration. Both are members of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and the local New Hampshire chapter ("NH NAELA").
Ann is a Certified Elder Law Attorney, a Fellow of the American College of Trust & Estate Counsel, has been listed as one of New Hampshire's Top Lawyers since 2003, and has been designated one of New England's Super Lawyers.
Judith currently serves on the Board of NH NAELA, on the Ethics Committee of the New Hampshire Bar Association, and was the primary draftsperson for New Hampshire's first pooled special needs trust program for third-party trusts, a program launched in 2010 by the Enhanced Lives Options Group, a New Hampshire non-profit organization that manages several pooled special needs trust programs.
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.
What Health Reform Means for Persons with Disabilities
The Voice is the e-mail newsletter of The Special Needs Alliance. This installment was written by Albuquerque, New Mexico Special Needs Alliance member Nell Graham Sale, CELA. Nell's practice concentrates on taxation, estate planning, estate administration, business succession, disability planning and elder law. She is a Certified Elder Law Attorney as designated by the National Elder Law Foundation. The recipient of much recognition from her peers, Nell is a fellow in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and since 2007 has consistently been selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers. Not least importantly, Nell is a regular contributor to the blog at her firm, Pregenzer, Baysinger, Wideman and Sale.
Veteran’s Benefits
The Voice is the e-mail newsletter of The Special Needs Alliance. This installment was written by Special Needs Alliance member Jacob H. Menashe, Esq., of Lynnwood, Washington. Jacob is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and is a past Chair of the Elder Law Section of the Washington State Bar Association. Jacob's practice emphasizes estate and long-term care planning, special needs trusts, probate, guardianship and Social Security/SSI disability appeals.
Life Insurance on a Child with Special Needs: Benefits and Challenges
The Voice is the e-mail newsletter of The Special Needs Alliance. This installment was written by SNA member Hyman Darling, Esq., a partner in the Springfield, Massachusetts, firm of Bacon Wilson, P.C. Mr. Darling concentrates his practice in estate planning, elder law, probate, special needs and guardianships/conservatorships. Before joining Bacon Wilson, he was a trust officer for several years. A frequent speaker for civic and charitable organizations, he serves on the American Cancer Society National Professional Advisory Committee and the boards of several western Massachusetts nonprofit organizations for persons with disabilities. He is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys Board of Directors.
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.
Retirement Accounts and Government Benefits
The Voice is the e-mail newsletter of The Special Needs Alliance. This installment was written by Special Needs Alliance members Edward V. Wilcenski, Esq. and Tara Anne Pleat, Esq..
EDWARD V. WILCENSKI, Esq., is a founding partner of the law firm of Jones 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.
TARA ANNE PLEAT, Esq. is a founding partner of the law firm of Jones Wilcenski & Pleat PLLC in Clifton Park, New York. She focuses her practice in the areas of special needs planning, trust & estate planning and administration, long term care planning and elder law. Tara is a member of the Special Needs Alliance, frequently speaking on estate planning and administration, special needs planning and related disability issues for state and local bar associations and community organizations.
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
.Being Prepared For a Disaster
The Voice is the e-mail newsletter of The Special Needs Alliance. This installment was written by Special Needs Alliance member, Mark Shalloway, CELA of West Palm Beach, Florida. Mr. Shalloway is a certified elder law attorney (by the National Elder Law Foundation), and is a member of the charter class of attorneys board certified in elder law by the Florida Bar Association. He has practiced law since 1989, and is a past president of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. His practice primarily includes elder law and special needs planning.
Housecleaning? Please Don’t Pitch These Records!
The Voice is the e-mail newsletter of The Special Needs Alliance. This installment was written by Janet Lowder, CELA; Sandra J. Buzney, JD, LISW and Mary B. McKee, JD, who practice law in northeast Ohio with Hickman & Lowder Co., L.P.A. Janet and Sandra are members of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA); Mary belongs to the National Organization of Social Security Claimants' Representatives (NOSSCR). Janet is also the Vice President of the Special Needs Alliance, a national organization committed to helping individuals with disabilities, their families, and the professionals who represent them.
Signing the Social Security Application
The Voice is the e-mail newsletter of The Special Needs Alliance. This installment was written by Special Needs Alliance member H. Amos Goodall, Jr., CELA, of State College, Pennsylvania. Mr. Goodall is a Certified Elder Law Attorney (by the National Elder Law Foundation), and has practiced law since 1976. He is also a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, and a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. Mr. Goodall primarily works in special needs and elder law planning, business organization planning, and real estate and business litigation.
18, 19, 21 Candles on that Cake
The Voice is the e-mail newsletter of The Special Needs Alliance. This installment was written by Special Needs Alliance member Barbara Hughes, Esq. of Madison, Wisconsin, who comes to her interest in facilitating the best in special education experiences from her long past "life" as a sixth grade teacher. Ms. Hughes is a partner in the Madison 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, in recent years she (along with several of her law partners) 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 in 2009 as one of Wisconsin's 25 top women attorneys.
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.
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.
Advocacy for Parents of Children with Disabilities
The Voice is the e-mail newsletter of The Special Needs Alliance. This installment was written by Special Needs Alliance member Lois M. Zerrer, whose practice is in Springfield, Missouri. She focuses on estate planning, Medicaid, Medicare, probate and veteran's benefits. She has served as president of the Missouri Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and as chair of The Missouri Bar Elder Law Committee. She is the principal attorney in the Zerrer Elder Law Office, LLC, in Springfield.
The Secret of When Less Is More
The Voice is the e-mail newsletter of The Special Needs Alliance. This installment was written by Special Needs Alliance member Peter J. Losavio, Jr., CELA, an attorney with Losavio & DeJean, LLC in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He is certified as an elder law attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation. He is a Louisiana Board Certified Estate Planning and Administration Specialist, and a Louisiana Board Certified Tax Specialist. Mr. Losavio is a charter member of the Life Care Planning Law Firms Association, and he is a member of the Society of Louisiana CPAs. Mr. Losavio obtained a Juris Doctorate degree from Louisiana State University and a Master of Law in Taxation from the University of Florida. Mr. Losavio's practice is limited to asset protection, life care planning and estate and tax planning.
Top Ten Tips When Planning For Special Needs
The Voice is the e-mail newsletter of The Special Needs Alliance. This installment was written by Special Needs Alliance members Richard E. Davis, CELA and Jennifer L. Lile, CELA, both of whom focus their practices on estate planning, special needs planning and elder law. Rick is a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, a Certified Elder Law Attorney, a Fellow of the American College of Trust & Estate Counsel, has been listed in Best Lawyers in America each year since 2003, has been designated as an Ohio Super Lawyer, and is included on the Top 100 Attorneys List for the state of Ohio. Jennifer and Rick are both frequent speakers on the topic of special needs planning, and they have co-authored numerous articles on that topic.
What Property May a Person Receiving SSI Own?
The Voice is the e-mail newsletter of The Special Needs Alliance. The author of this installment, John S. Kitchen, Esq., has written articles published by the National College of Probate Judges and the Research Institute of America (RIA), and has drafted special needs trusts legislation enacted into law in New Hampshire. John has given presentations concerning special needs trusts at national conferences of the National Guardianship Association, ARC, National PLAN Alliance and Special Needs Alliance, as well as at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. in a program sponsored by the National Disability Institute. John has a family member with disabilities, and he is a member of the Special Needs Alliance.
“I’m Glad She Did That”
The Voice is the e-mail newsletter of The Special Needs Alliance. This installment was written by Special Needs Alliance member Robert L. McClelland, CELA of Lexington, Kentucky. Mr. McClelland is the managing member in the Lexington law firm of McClelland & Associates, PLLC, where his practice is focused on special needs planning, elder law and general estate planning.