In many ways, an irrevocable trust is like a house. It is a structure designed to last a long time, to benefit the people who live there (the beneficiaries), and to safeguard property (the trust assets). And, like a house, the components of... Continue

Employment is about more than making a living. Working and earning a wage promotes dignity, self-worth, and independence and provides a sense of community. Fortunately, a person with disabilities can participate in the workforce, earn some ... Continue

The Uniform Guardianship, Conservatorship, and Other Protective Arrangements Act (the “Uniform Act”) became effective in Washington state on January 1, 2022. A section of the new law, called Other Protective Arrangements, is intended to... Continue

A trust protector is a person or entity named in the trust agreement who will help ensure that the special needs trust (SNT) is well managed by the trustee. The trust agreement spells out the extent of the trust protector’s responsibiliti... Continue

The 18th birthday of a child with special needs marks the beginning of significant changes regarding the benefits and services they can receive. In the United States, most children who turn 18 become adults in the eyes of the law, which mea... Continue

It used to be that people lived in one place and never moved. Those days are gone, as people are much more mobile and, for various reasons, change domicile often. This article will discuss some of the tax issues related to a person with a d... Continue

One place to start is by reviewing our previous article, ?Adopting a Child with Special Needs, where we provide valuable tips about adoption, including using reputable agencies to facilitate the process. The next option to consider is to fo... Continue

Supported decision-making (SDM) is an alternate arrangement to guardianship, which allows an inidual the ability to make one’s own decisions with the help and support of others, rather than surrendering that right altogether to a gua... Continue

For parents of a child with special needs, the support and resources needed can feel overwhelming. The Special Needs Alliance is a national alliance of attorneys for special needs planning. While some resources vary by state, there are gove... Continue

Supported decision-making (SDM) is a significant and growing alternative to guardianship. SDM has been defined as a tool under which an inidual with a disability selects advisors or supporters, such as friends, family, or professionals, ... Continue

An often-overlooked tool for long-term Medicaid planning purposes is the sole benefit trust (SBT). How powerful the SBT can be depends on whether the person with a disability is receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Securit... Continue

One of the many benefits of utilizing an ABLE account for iniduals with special needs is the ability to save and invest funds without losing eligibility for public benefits programs like Medicaid, SSI or SSDI. The earnings in an ABLE acc... Continue

Marriage is a significant time in a person’s life, accompanied by excitement, meticulous planning, and the involvement of friends, family, and loved ones. But marriage may have financial consequences for adults with disabilities. Recipien... Continue

While?post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)?occurs throughout the U.S. population, military veterans are particularly at risk. Some studies estimate that up to 30 percent of the vets who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan have been diagnos... Continue

Confused about those stimulus checks? Many questions have arisen with regard to the federal government’s payments to iniduals and households under the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act). Here are details…Continue