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SNA Public Policy: Advocating for Adult Children

The Voice® is prepared and distributed by the Special Needs Alliance (SNA). This installment was written by a consortium of members of the SNA’s Public Policy Committee. The Public Policy Committee through our public policy consultant, Brian Lindberg, work with members of Congress and congressional staff to educate and advocate on issues of importance to individuals with disabilities and their families. The Public Policy Committee will author periodic issues of the The Voice® to introduce our readers to the Public Policy efforts the SNA is directly involved in.

SNT Beneficiaries on the Move: Third in a Series

This installment of The Voice was written by Special Needs Alliance member Kristen M. Lewis, Esq., who practices in Atlanta, Georgia at Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP. Kristen is also a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC). She is a frequent national speaker on special needs planning, and serves on the Boards of numerous non-profits that support individuals with disabilities and their families. In her free time, she trains certified service dogs for Canine Assistants in Milton, Georgia.

2022-03-08T12:05:30-05:00

Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) – How to Open an ABLE Account

The Voice is the e-mail newsletter of The Special Needs Alliance. This installment was written by Pacheco, California, Special Needs Alliance member Stephen W. Dale of The Dale Law Firm, PC. Steve 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. Steve regularly teaches courses to the public, financial professionals, and other attorneys on special needs trusts and trust administration. Additionally, he serves as the trustee for the Golden State Pooled Trust. Steve offers numerous videos and handouts to the public and his colleagues at www.achievingindependence.com.

2022-11-23T09:16:20-05:00Tags: |

Disabled Military Child Protection Act Policy Issued

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.. Kelly has been a lawyer for 37 years, practicing law in Arlington, Virginia for the last 21 years. She is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) and a frequent lecturer on special needs planning. Her clients include many military families and she was active in lobbying for passage of the Disabled Military Child Protection Act. Her practice focuses on planning for individuals with disabilities and the elderly, special needs trusts, trust administration and estate planning.

2024-02-29T08:55:32-05:00

Recommended Books for the Special Needs Community

As lawyers in elder and disability practices, Special Needs Alliance members have many experiences that feed our empathy and understanding, but not all of us have parents with dementia or a child with a disability. One thing we have learned, though, over many years of practice, is that if you have seen one child or [...]

2022-03-15T11:20:02-04:00

Filing a Tax Return for a Special Needs Trust: What a Trustee Needs to Know at Tax Time

This installment of the Voice was written by Special Needs Alliance member Tara Anne Pleat. Tara is a founding partner of the law firm of Wilcenski & Pleat PLLC (www.wplawny.com) 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.

2021-01-11T10:28:10-05:00

Updating Your Special Needs Trust – Begin with a Self Review

The Voice is the e-mail newsletter of The Special Needs Alliance. This installment was written by Pacheco, California, Special Needs Alliance member Stephen W. Dale, Esq. of The Dale Law Firm, PC. Steve 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. Steve regularly teaches courses to the public, financial professionals, and other attorneys on special needs trusts and trust administration. Additionally, he serves as the trustee for the Golden State Pooled Trust. Steve offers numerous videos and handouts to the public and his colleagues at www.achievingindependence.com.

2022-11-03T14:51:56-04:00Tags: |

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.

2023-08-07T12:20:09-04:00

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.

2023-12-30T01:36:02-05:00

Estate Planning for People with Disabilities

The Voice is the e-mail newsletter of The Special Needs Alliance. This issue was written by Special Needs Alliance member Jason Frank, CELA, the founding partner in the law firm of Frank, Frank & Scherr, LLC, of Lutherville, Maryland. Mr. Frank's practice addresses the legal consequences of common age-related disabilities. Locate a Special Needs Alliance member in your state by visiting the Alliance's website.

2021-09-29T10:28:06-04:00

Generational Planning: When the Caregiver Needs Help

The Voice is the e-mail newsletter of The Special Needs Alliance. This installment was written by Special Needs Alliance member Richard Sayre, of Spokane, Washington. Mr. Sayre is a Certified Elder Law Attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation, and his practice emphasizes planning for disability for both elders and individuals with special needs. He is an Adjunct Professor of Law at Gonzaga University School of Law, and has served as a Trustee on the Elder Law Section of the Washington State Bar Association, and on the Washington State Professional Guardian Certification Board, as well as other professional organizations working to improve quality of life and protection for those with special needs.

2024-03-13T09:24:06-04:00Tags: |

Third Party Special Needs Trusts

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.

2022-11-03T14:46:06-04:00Tags: |

Alternatives to Litigation Special Needs Trusts

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.

2021-01-08T12:31:50-05:00