Loud & Clear

Special Needs Trusts Do More than Protect Benefits

Bruce D. Reinoso, Esq., is Senior Counsel in the Family Wealth and Estate Planning Department of Woods Oviatt, Gilman, LLP, of Buffalo and Rochester, New York. He concentrates his practice in the areas of trusts, estates, estate planning and elder law. Too often, families planning to create a third party special needs trust (SNT) think [...]

2022-07-20T20:21:27-04:00

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day Is June 15th

This post was written by Emma Hemness, CELA, founding owner of  Hemness Faller Elder Law, located in the Tampa Bay area in Brandon, Florida. She limits her law practice to elder law, estate planning and special needs planning, providing guidance to families with loved ones who are elderly and persons with disabilities. June 15th is [...]

2024-04-24T10:16:00-04:00

Roundup: Special Ed and Coronavirus/ Coping with Early Dementia/Standalone Special Needs Trusts

SNA attorneys have ongoing involvement with the wide-ranging issues faced by individuals with disabilities, their families and the professionals who serve them. Here is a sampling from member blogs and newsletters… Defining a Student’s Legal Rights to Special Ed During COVID-19 With coronavirus isolating families at home, how will special ed students receive the services so important [...]

2021-06-21T05:49:17-04:00

Mental Illness Is the Most Common Disability

This post was authored by Elena Lidrbauch, CELA, of Hickman & Lowder Co. LPA, Cleveland, Ohio. Her practice focuses on issues affecting persons with disabilities and older individuals, including special needs planning, guardianship and estate planning. In addition to her law degree, she has an M.Ed in rehabilitation counseling. Prior to practicing law, she spent [...]

2021-01-11T11:26:06-05:00

Nursing Home Visitation Guidelines Cause Concern

This post was authored by Kim Dayton, Esq., Professor Emerita at the William Mitchell College of Law, St. Paul, Minnesota. Her areas of interest include disability rights, parenting an adult child on the autism spectrum, and end-of-life decision-making. In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), a federal agency with [...]

2021-01-19T09:36:00-05:00

Isolation Tips for Families with Special Needs

This post was authored by Bryn Poland, Esq., of Mayo & Poland, PLLC, Baytown, Texas. She focuses her practice on special needs trust planning and administration, qualified settlement funds, and estate planning. She is a member of the Special Needs Alliance. Schools and day programs are suspended. Non-essential businesses are told to operate remotely. Families [...]

2021-01-19T09:35:36-05:00

Self-Advocate’s Golden Gate Adventure

Angela at the Golden Gate Bridge, which has long fascinated her. Late last year, we wrote about Angela Campbell’s approaching dream-come-true trip to see the Golden Gate Bridge. The award-winning self-advocate from Madison, Wisconsin, mentioned her longing to visit the iconic landmark during her acceptance speech at an event hosted by The Arc-Dane [...]

2021-01-11T11:25:18-05:00

“Wings for All” Activists Make a Dream Come True

(From left) Job Coach Kathy Walters and self-advocate Angela Campbell with the “boarding pass” for their round-trip flight to San Francisco. Angela Campbell, of Madison, Wisconsin, has a can-do attitude that touched the hearts of Wings for All sponsors and volunteers, inspiring them to make a dream come true. “I’m saving my money [...]

2021-01-11T11:21:51-05:00

What Parents Need to Know about Special Education Rights

This post was authored  by Marion M. Walsh, Esq., a partner with Littman Krooks LLP, which has offices in White Plains and New York City. She has worked in education law for  over 20 years and leads the special education department at Littman Krooks. She is certified by the New York State Education Department  as an impartial hearing officer for children with disabilities.

2022-11-24T10:29:54-05:00

Is Self-Employment Right for You?

This post was co-authored by John S. Kitchen, Esq., and Janet Lowder, CELA. John has law offices in Auburn and Laconia, New Hampshire. His practice areas include special needs trusts (SNTs), powers of attorney, wills and revocable trusts for individuals who have a family member or friend with disabilities. Janet’s firm is headquartered in Cleveland, with several other offices throughout the state. She focuses on estate planning for the elderly and for individuals with special needs and is recognized for her knowledge of Medicaid.

2024-02-29T08:16:00-05:00Tags: |

Guardianship Should Be a Last Resort

This post was written by former Special Needs Alliance president Katherine N. Barr, Esq., a member of Sirote & Permutt’s Private Clients, Trusts and Estates Practice Group, Birmingham, Alabama.  Much of her practice involves special needs planning, through which she assists clients in providing for a family member in a way that does not jeopardize government benefits.  She is a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) and has been cited in The Best Lawyers in America©.

2024-02-16T15:59:41-05:00Tags: |

Full Funding of the IDEA Critical for Our Children

By Linda M. Gorczynski, Esq. It's critical that we get increased funding for special education services in order to meet the needs of students with disabilities and achieve compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Attempts have been made to make legislative changes for years, but it hasn't happened. We all need to [...]

2021-01-11T11:19:22-05:00