By Martha C. Brown, CELA When someone is living with severe mental illness, the process of obtaining guardianship can be particularly complex. Symptoms may be intermittent, leading individuals to resist legally imposed assistance and making it difficult for a court to establish whether or not they are competent to care for themselves. The goal, of [...]
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).
By Shirley B. Whitenack, Esq. Regardless of the severity of an individual's cognitive impairment, that individual is presumed to be a competent adult at the age of 18. If the person will be unable to make important choices, the naming of one or more guardians should be considered. A guardian is a court appointee who [...]
This issue of The Voice® was written by SNA Fiduciary Council Member Judith Bomster of Cambridge Trust Wealth Management in Manchester, NH, and SNA Sponsored Member Alicia Cahill of Morneau Law in Nashua, NH. Families supporting a child with disabilities often describe the transition to adulthood as both meaningful and challenging. Turning 18 and 21 [...]
Have You Heard About HOTMA? Eligibility Rules Are Changing for Subsidized Housing This issue of the Voice was written by SNA member Emily Starr, CELA, of Starr Traiger LLP in Worcester, Massachusetts. Serving central Massachusetts, her firm specializes in special needs planning, estate and trust administration, guardianship and conservatorship, estate planning, and elder law. The [...]
This issue of the Voice was written by SNA member Twyla Sketchley, B.C.S. of the Sketchley Law Firm, P.A. in Tallahassee, Florida. She specializes in guardianship, elder law, fiduciary representation, estate planning, and the prevention and maltreatment of elders and people with disabilities. Caring for elderly or infirm loved ones is difficult. It can bring [...]
This issue of The Voice® was written by SNA member Emily R. Taylor of Emily Taylor Law in Phoenix, Arizona. Serving all areas of Arizona, her firm specializes in special needs planning, estate planning, and guardianship and alternatives. The holidays are a time for generosity, and many families want to pick out something special for [...]
Scott C. Suzuki, Esq. Scott C. Suzuki is the principal of Scott C. Suzuki, Attorney at Law, LLLC, a Honolulu-based firm focused on estate planning, special needs planning, long-term care and Medicaid planning, catastrophic injury and mass tort planning, guardianships, conservatorships, and probates. His practice serves seniors, individuals with disabilities, and their families, [...]
Rebecca C. Morgan, Esq. Rebecca is a full-time law professor at Stetson University’s College of Law where she teaches Elder Law and Trusts and Estates. She is the co-author of Third-Party and Self-Created Trusts (ABA), Tax, Estate and Financial Planning for the Elderly and its companion forms book (Lexis), Fundamentals of Special Needs [...]
Robert W. Fechtman, CELA Robert Fechtman is the founder of Fechtman Law Office, a full-service elder law and special needs planning firm in Indianapolis, Indiana. His practice focuses on the needs of older adults and individuals with disabilities, including special needs trusts, estate planning, health law, Medicaid planning, guardianships, and probate. A lifelong [...]