Even though we never want to face it, there will come a time when we will no longer be here. This is especially difficult to face when you have a child with special needs. The thought of our special needs child being in this world without us is too much to bear. However, the lack [...]
One of the biggest hurdles parents of children with special needs face is preparing for the future. With income restrictions on many benefit programs, it can be difficult for parents to plan for their child’s future needs. Recently, however, Congress has introduced legislation called the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act, which would enable [...]
As a special needs planning attorney, I am often asked by clients and financial planners how family members can make gifts of cash and other financial assets to a child with special needs. Don’t Give A Gift! Generally, making outright gifts to a child with special needs is never good planning because it will jeopardize [...]
The Letter of Intent is the most important document that you can prepare in the estate planning process because it will help the people that will be caring for your child interpret your hopes and desires for your child. This is not a document that is prepared by an attorney nor is it a formal [...]
As the sibling of a brother with Autism and other developmental challenges, and a career financial advisor who focuses on working with families with special needs members, I have seen a number of common financial planning mistakes made by families all of whom had the best intentions. Even when attorneys and other specialists are included [...]
Image courtesy of: navy.mil There has been much focus in the media and elsewhere recently on “sequestration” and the impending budget cuts. What does it all mean? How will this affect access to programs and services for people with disabilities? These are not easily answered questions because at this point, no one knows how the cuts [...]
Every parent worries about their child’s future and how they can prepare their child for the day when they will be on their own. For parents of a child with special needs the concern is much greater. Who will will take care of my child? Will he be happy? Will he lead a productive life? [...]
Suppose you live in a remote area of your state. Your 15-year-old child has severe autism and you know that his placement is not appropriate. He has not received speech services all year and his behaviors, both at home and at school are getting worse. The school district simply ignores your pleas for services and [...]
Parents of a child with special needs understand the difficulty in having to care for a special needs child and work full or part time outside the home. Unfortunately many employers do not understand these challenges and do not provide flexibility for carers of children with special needs. Thankfully for parents there are certain protections to ensure [...]
Making sure your child with special needs gets the best possible education can sometimes seem more difficult than rocket science. If you feel your child is not getting the services he or she deserves you may need to hire an attorney and consider legal action. That brings up the issue of finding the right attorney [...]
