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Tax Options for Third-Party Special Needs Trusts

This issue of The Voice® is by Sean R. Beck and Evan M.E. Barrett, who are colleagues of SNA member Charlene K. Quade of C.K. Quade Law, PLLC. Located in Boise, Idaho, the firm is dedicated to serving clients in communities throughout the state in the areas of special needs planning, settlement planning, Medicaid and long-term care planning, estate planning and disability and elder law.

2023-08-18T11:42:22-04:00Tags: , |

Are You Really Ready? Realistic Planning for Parents and Other Caregivers

The Voice® is the e-mail newsletter of the Special Needs Alliance. This installment was written by Special Needs Alliance member Edward 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. Ed is a past President of the Special Needs Alliance and writes and lectures frequently on issues affecting individuals with disabilities and their families.

Should a Special Needs Trust Pay for Medical Marijuana?

The Voice is the e-mail newsletter of The Special Needs Alliance. This installment was written by Special Needs Alliance member Kyle Moore, Esq., who practices with the law firm of Weems, Schimpf, Haines, Shemwell & Moore, in Shreveport, Louisiana. He focuses on special needs planning, elder law and estate planning.

Requirements for Reprinting this Article: The below article may be reprinted only if it appears unmodified, including both the author description above the title and the "About this Newsletter" paragraph immediately following the article, accompanied by the following statement: "Reprinted with permission of the Special Needs Alliance - www.specialneedsalliance.org."

2021-01-11T11:20:57-05:00

Trust Protectors for Special Needs Trusts

The Voice is the e-mail newsletter of The Special Needs Alliance. This installment was written by Special Needs Alliance member Gregory Wilcox of Berkeley, California. Greg’s firm focuses on government benefits and estate planning for the elderly and for individuals with disabilities. He is a Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA) and co-author of Special Needs Trusts: Planning, Drafting, and Administration and of California Elder Law Resources, Benefits, and Planning.  He is a core faculty member in attorney training conferences given by California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (CANHR) in San Francisco, and frequent contributor of articles on special needs topics in CANHR's Legal Network News.

2022-11-03T14:49:09-04:00Tags: |

Transferring Guardianship Across State Lines

The Voice is the e-mail newsletter of The Special Needs Alliance. This installment was written by Special Needs Alliance member and current president Scott Suzuki, Esq. of Honolulu, Hawaii. Mr. Suzuki's law practice emphasizes planning for individuals with special needs and their families. He serves on the board of The Arc of Hawaii and is a founding member of Aloha Independent Living Hawaii; former vice president of Family Voices, which facilitates community-based, family-centered care for children with special needs; and a longtime volunteer with the University of Hawaii Elder Law Program.

2022-03-08T12:13:54-05:00

A Wake up Call for Professional Trustees and Parents

A fairly recent court decision, In the Matter of Mark C.H., involved the obligations of the trustee of a special needs trust, and serves as the focus of this issue of The Voice. The case involved an accounting proceeding brought by the co-trustees of a supplemental needs trust established for Mark, an autistic man living [...]

2022-05-20T09:20:13-04:00

Naming a Special Needs Trust as Beneficiary of your IRA or Retirement Plan

This issue of the Voice was written by Special Needs Alliance member Lisa Nachmias Davis, CELA, a partner in the New Haven, Connecticut law firm of Davis O'Sullivan & Priest, LLC. Ms. Davis helps clients with estate planning, setting up or administering special needs trusts, qualifying for public benefits, and probate and estate settlement; she also represents charities and other nonprofit organizations. Her website is www.sharinglaw.net.

2021-01-18T10:30:22-05:00

Does My Child Need a Guardianship?

The Voice is the e-mail newsletter of The Special Needs Alliance. This installment was written by Special Needs Alliance 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 serves on the board of directors and has served as Secretary of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA).

Private Disability Insurance

The Voice is the e-mail newsletter of The Special Needs Alliance. This installment was written by Special Needs Alliance members Lisa Nachmias Davis, CELA of the New Haven, Connecticut law firm of Davis O'Sullivan & Priest, LLC, where her practice concentrates on elder law, planning for those with special needs, estate planning and administration, and advice to not-for-profit organizations. A member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) and the Connecticut Bar Association's Elder Law Section executive Committee, in 2011 she was named one of the 25 best women lawyers in Connecticut and one of the top 50 women lawyers in New England by SuperLawyers, a Thompson Reuters business that rates attorneys.

2021-01-08T12:59:44-05:00

The Pitfalls of Caregiver Employment: Paying, Withholding, and Reporting Requirements

The Voice is the email newsletter of The Special Needs Alliance. This installment was written by Peter J. Losavio, Jr., CELA, an attorney with Losavio & DeJean, LLC in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Holding both a law degree and LLM in tax, Pete is certified as an elder law attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation and as a Tax Specialist and Estate Planning and Administration Specialist by the Louisiana Board. Pete is a charter member of the Life Care Planning Law Firms Association and a member of the Society of Louisiana CPAs. He limits his practice to asset protection, life care planning and estate and tax planning.

2023-09-26T10:25:12-04:00

Pooled Trusts for Individuals with Special Needs

The Voice is the e-mail newsletter of The Special Needs Alliance. This installment was written by Special Needs Alliance member Cora A. Alsante, Esq. and Syracuse University law student Camille Castro. Ms. Castro was a 2009 summer intern at the law firm of Hancock & Estabrook in Syracuse, where Ms. Alsante is a partner. In addition to her work at Hancock & Estabrook, Ms. Alsante was an adjunct professor at Syracuse University College of Law, where she taught elder law. Ms. Alsante has also been named as a New York Super Lawyer in elder law, estate planning and probate. Ms. Alsante is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, and a long-time member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys.

2021-07-21T11:29:02-04:00

The Military’s Survivor Benefit Plan and the Disabled Child

The Voice is the e-mail newsletter of The Special Needs Alliance. This installment was written by Special Needs Alliance member Kelly A. Thompson, Esq. of Arlington, Virginia. Ms. Thompson is the author of "Trust Administration in Virginia" (published by the Virginia Bar Foundation) and the "Adult Incapacity" chapter of the Virginia Lawyer Deskbook, and she is an active volunteer with The ARC of Northern Virginia. She also serves as counsel for the pooled special needs trust for The ARC of Northern Virginia, and she is a member of the Legal Advisors group for the National Capital Chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society. Ms. Thompson's readable article "Planning for Individuals with Special Needs" is available online.

2024-02-29T10:12:11-05:00Tags: |

Structuring a Personal Injury Settlement

You are reading The Voice, a newsletter published by The Special Needs Alliance. Our purpose is to provide information--and answers--about special needs planning for family members and professionals. We hope this newsletter helps you. We would love to hear your questions, suggestions and comments; please feel free to e-mail us. We also encourage you to forward our newsletter to others who might benefit from the information here, or who might have similar questions.

2021-07-21T10:54:36-04:00