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  • 2024
    • December
      • The Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP)
      • Update on 2025 Social Security Disability Benefits Payouts
      • Why Trusts Are Important Estate Planning Tools
    • November
      • Supporting Twice Exceptional (2e) Students
      • IRS Finalizes 10-Year RMD Rules for Inherited IRAs
      • Voting Rights for People With Disabilities
      • Bill Would Make Expiring ABLE Account Provisions Permanent
      • How Are Benefits for Disability (SSDI) Calculated?
    • October
      • ABLE Accounts Can Play a Key Role in Special Needs Plans
      • Funding a Special Needs Trust With a Structured Settlement
      • Financial Help for Parents of Children With Special Needs
      • Social Security Simplifies Disability Benefits Evaluations
    • September
      • Microschools as an Option for Students With Disabilities
      • SSA Names 9 New Compassionate Allowance Conditions in 2024
      • How AI Is Supporting Assistive Technology
      • 7 Common Inheritance Mistakes to Avoid
    • August
      • Does a Personal Injury Settlement Affect Disability Claims?
      • Will My Disability Benefits Change When I Turn 65?
      • What Assets Count When Applying for SSI?
      • Why Trusts Are Important Estate Planning Tools
    • July
      • Can An Executor Decide Who Gets What?
      • I'm on SSDI- Can I Work and Keep My Disability Benefits?
      • More People to Qualify for SSI Under New Rental Subsidy Rule
      • How Are Benefits for Disability (SSDI) Calculated?
      • Blended Families and Wills in Estate Planning
    • June
      • Is a Personal Injury Settlement Taxed?
      • Preventing Guardianship Abuse of People With Disabilities
    • May
      • Supplemental vs. Special Needs Trusts: Any Difference?
      • Securely Storing Your Legal Documents
      • Don't Procrastinate, Update & Celebrate!
    • April
      • Home Ownership for People With Disabilities
      • Who Does a Probate Attorney Represent: Executor or Heirs?
    • March
      • What Is the Social Security Disability 5-Year Rule?
      • Do Personal Injury Settlements Affect SSI or SSDI Benefits?
      • A Social Security Spousal Benefits Loophole for Caregivers
      • Planning for Children and Adult Children With Special Needs
      • 40% of People Say They Don't Have Enough to Make a Will
    • February
      • Reasons Veterans Miss Out on Veteran Disability Benefits
      • How Gift Cards Could Affect SSI Benefits
      • A Useless Power of Attorney: Avoid Free Legal Documents
      • SSI Recipients Get Relief After Landmark Settlement
    • January
      • Choosing Trustees for Special Needs Trusts: 5 Considerations
      • ABLE Accounts in 2024: Save Up to $18,000 Annually
      • Intellectual and Developmental Disability: What Is an IDD?
      • New Year's Resolution: Get That Estate Plan Done
  • 2023
    • December
      • When Children With Disabilities Turn 18, Part I
      • Is Your Financial Information in Order?
      • SSA Announces 12 New Compassionate Allowance Conditions
      • SSI and SSDI Recipients to Receive Boost in 2024 Payouts
    • November
      • Building an Estate Plan for Adult Children with Disabilities
      • 6 Ways the Sandwich Generation Can Plan for the Future
      • Making a Will Can Protect Your Child With Special Needs
    • October
      • Securing Food Stamps as a Person With Disabilities
      • Disability Community Continues Fight for Access to Home Care
      • Estate Planning for Surviving Spouses
    • September
      • Bill Would Aid Thousands of Working People With Disabilities
      • What's the Most I Can Receive in Disability Benefits?
      • Emotional Support Animals for Children With Disabilities
      • Modifying an Irrevocable Trust Through Trust Decanting
    • August
      • Obtaining a Protective Order for a Person With a Disability
      • Study: Hiring Family to Care for Children With Disabilities
      • SSDI for Adults With Disabilities When a Parent Retires
      • VITAL Act: Affordable Housing for People With Disabilities
      • Inherited Retirement Accounts: Minimizing Tax Consequences
    • July
      • ABLE Account Owners Who Work Can Save More Through 2025
      • Owe Back Taxes? Should You Request Uncollectible Status?
      • Creating a Comprehensive Special Needs Financial Plan
      • Rights and Responsibilities of a Conservator
      • 3 Common Probate Questions
      • From Organ Donations to Webinars
    • June
      • 5 Reasons Why Your SSDI Claim Could Be Denied
      • Is Your Estate Plan Stale?
      • Why You Should Designate Beneficiaries
      • Understanding the Differences Between a Will and a Trust
      • If You Own a Business, Why Do You Need an Estate Plan?
      • Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for Children With Autism
      • Using a Credit Card When You Have a Special Needs Trust
    • May
      • No Will? You're Putting Your Kids at Risk
      • What Is a Group Home?
      • Don't Wait Until You're Sick to Create an Estate Plan
    • April
      • What to Know About Being a Health Care Proxy
      • What Is a Ward of the State?
      • Charities May Now Be Named As SNT Remainder Beneficiaries
      • Asset Protection Trust
    • March
      • $25M Award to Help Fund Housing for People With Disabilities
      • What Can an SNT Pay for Without Affecting SSI or Medicaid?
      • Estate Planning: An At-a-Glance Overview
      • Congress Overlooks Bill Meant to Up SSI Recipient Asset Cap
      • Should an SSI Recipient Refuse an Inheritance?
    • February
      • ABLE Account Age Adjustment a Bright Spot in Omnibus Passage
      • Why Are Doctors Failing to Treat People With Special Needs?
      • When Does a Person Lack Capacity in a Guardianship?
      • Estate Planning: 3 Things to Know About Being an Executor
    • January
      • How Trustees of Special Needs Trusts Are Compensated
      • Future Estate Tax Exemptions
      • Start 2023 Prepared: Reassess What Matters Most
  • 2022
    • December
      • A Warning for Medicaid Beneficiaries Traveling Out of State
      • Can a Person Who Receives Disability Benefits Own a Car?
      • Qualifying for Disability Benefits Through Parent Work Record
      • Reality Check...
      • What You Should Know About Required Minimum Distributions
    • November
      • Social Security Disability Benefits to Rise for 2023
      • Supported Decision-Making as an Alternative to Guardianship
      • Before You Say 'I Do': 5 Questions to Ask Your Special Needs Attorney
      • Better Access to Medicaid? Feds Seek to Simplify Enrollment
    • October
      • Accessory Dwelling Units Promote Independence Near Family
      • A Quick Primer on the Taxation of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) Benefits
      • Mainstream Vouchers Can Help People With Disabilities, and Their Families, Afford a Place to Live
      • Is a Qualified Disability Trust Right For Your Estate Plan?
    • September
      • Proposed Legislation Would Allow Families to Extend Impact of Special Needs Trusts to Charities
      • Most Who Apply for Social Security Disability Insurance Are Rejected; What Can You Do to Improve Your Chances?
      • Essential Medication Denials Raise Serious Questions
      • Should You Consider A Guardianship or Conservatorship for Your Loved One With Special Needs?
      • The Powers and Responsibilities of Representative Payees
    • August
      • Housing Considerations When Your Child With Special Needs Becomes an Adult
      • Feds Set Deadline for States to Meet Standards on Adequate Community Housing for Individuals With Disabilities
      • Feds Set Deadline for States to Meet Standards on Adequate Community Housing for Individuals With Disabilities
      • Through PASS, People With Disabilities Can Pursue Work Goals Without Losing SSI Benefits
      • The Ins and Outs of Estate Sales
    • July
      • Assistance Is Available for Veterans’ Children with Disabilities
      • Victims of Discrimination Cannot Sue for Emotional Distress, Supreme Court Says
      • Support Your Child With Disabilities — and Still Qualify for Medicaid
      • How to Deal with an Estranged Child in Your Estate Plan
    • June
      • When Is It OK for an SNT Trustee to Be Compensated?
      • Advice on Vice: Are there exclusions?
      • Medicare Now Covers the Cost of COVID At-Home Tests
      • What to Do If You Want to Leave Your Children Unequal Inheritances
      • SSA Reopens Its Offices While Making It Easier to Apply for SSI Online
    • May
      • The Tax Consequences of Selling a House After the Death of a Spouse
      • What Can ABLE Account Money Be Spent On?
      • Three Warning Signs That You May Need a Professional Trustee
      • The Benefits of Including an LLC as Part of Your Estate Plan
    • April
      • What to Do About an Unwanted Inheritance
      • Why You May Need a Trust in Addition to a Power of Attorney
      • You Can Just Say No: Declining to Act as an Agent Under a Power of Attorney
      • The Difference Between Elder Law and Estate Planning
    • March
      • SSA Encourages Those on Disability to Work — Until It Doesn’t
      • Infrastructure Bill to Make Public Transit More Accessible
      • Recipients of Supplemental Security Income Now Have 50 Extra Days to Appeal Benefits Cuts
      • ABLE Accounts vs. Special Needs Trusts: Why Not Have It All?
    • February
      • Supportive Housing Programs Offer Integrated Solutions for People with Mental Disabilities
      • Hungry for Support: More Likely to Be Food-Insecure, People with Disabilities Have Difficulty Getting Assistance
      • Uber Broke Law by Slapping Wait-Time Surcharge on People With Disabilities, DOJ Charges
      • What Are a Special Needs Trustee’s Record-Keeping Duties?
    • January
      • Why You May Need a Trust in Addition to a Power of Attorney
      • Safeguard Your Original Documents
      • Supreme Court to Hear Case That Could Increase the Bite That Medicaid Takes Out of Settlements
  • 2021
    • December
      • Court Overturns FDA Ban on School’s Use of Electric Shock Devices on Students with Disabilities
      • New CDC Materials Teach COVID-19 Safety Protocols to People with IDD
      • The Perils and Pitfalls of Do-It-Yourself Special Needs Planning
      • Make Sure Your Estate Plan and Other Essential Documents Are Safe from Disasters
    • November
      • Bill Introduced — Again — to Bring the Supplemental Security Income Program into the 21st Century
      • Pandemic Payments Now Won’t Affect SSI Benefits or Eligibility at All
      • Never Say Never: Navigating the Appeals Process if You’ve Been Denied Social Security Disability Benefits
      • Leaving an IRA to a Special Needs Trust Is No Longer Such a Bad Idea
    • October
      • Lawsuits Charge Families Paid Thousands for Service Dogs That Were of No Service at All
      • Bill Dangles Funding Hope for Families Caring for People with Disabilities
      • An Introduction to Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
      • Britney Spears Case Offers Lessons on Conservatorship
      • Webinar with the Down Syndrome Connection of the Bay Area on November 6th
    • September
      • Dividing Personal Possessions
      • Kafkaesque Nightmare: Thousands of SSI Recipients Accused of Owning Property That Isn’t Theirs
      • Resources for Travelers with Special Needs Are Only a Click Away
      • Social Security Administration Reopens Its Doors to the Public—But Only a Crack
    • August
      • Back to School & Upcoming Events
      • Three Tips When Hiring a Caregiver for a Child with Special Needs
      • Passing Assets to Grandchildren Through a Generation-Skipping Trust
      • COVID-19 Relief Bill Makes ACA Even More Affordable, If Only Temporarily
    • July
      • Bill Would Allow All Military Retirees to Name Special Needs Trusts as Beneficiaries of Pension Plans
      • 'Like a Dickens Novel': States Are Grabbing Foster Children’s Social Security Benefits
      • Charge Against Mother Highlights Value of Adding an Extra Layer of Protection to a Special Needs Trust
      • Court Case Illustrates the Danger of Using an Online Power of Attorney Form
      • Elder Abuse Day
    • June
      • Cities Try to Make 911 a Safe Number to Call for Mental Health Emergencies
      • Bill Reintroduced to Greatly Expand Eligibility for ABLE Accounts
      • Does Your Child’s Special Needs Trust Need a Tune-Up? Probably.
    • May
      • Congress Eliminates SSDI Waiting Period for People with ALS
      • People with Disabilities are Still Being Largely Ignored in State COVID-19 Vaccine Priority Lists
      • An ABLE Account Could Be a Great Place for Your $1,400 Relief Payment
      • Disability Advocates Applaud Landmark COVID-19 Relief Bill
    • April
      • What You Can't Do With a Will
      • Disability-Friendly Places to Live in the U.S.: WalletHub’s Latest Survey
      • Closing of Social Security Offices Has Triggered a Sharp Drop-Off in New SSI Recipients
    • March
      • Biden Administration Undoes Key Trump Regulations Affecting People with Disabilities
      • Is It Possible to Put a Retirement Plan in a Special Needs Trust?
      • COVID-19 How to Assist Aging Parents During the Pandemic
      • SCAMS - NO JOKE!
    • February
      • Couple Accused of Redirecting $500,000 Intended for Person with Disabilities into Their Own Pockets
      • New Regulations Compromise the Independence of Disability Appeals Judges
      • More Changes Coming?
      • Feds End Protections for Emotional Support Animals on Airlines, Allowing Service Dogs Only
    • January
      • ABLE Accounts Offer Financial Independence for Beneficiaries Who Can Manage Their Own Money
      • An Important and Often Overlooked Issue Resolved with Proper Estate Planning: GUARDIANSHIPS
      • It's Time for a New Year's Resolution That You'll Actually Keep!
  • 2020
    • December
      • IRS Issues Final Regulations for ABLE Accounts
      • Will People with Disabilities Have Priority for a COVID-19 Vaccine?
      • Strategies for Bridging SSDI’s Medicare Waiting Period
      • President-Elect Biden’s Promises to People with Disabilities Are Numerous
      • Beware of These Ongoing Scams! (And Tips on How to Avoid Falling Victim to Them)
    • November
      • Do You Know the Duties and Responsibilities of a Trustee?
    • October
      • Nearly 110,000 Died Awaiting Disability Benefit Appeals Between 2008 and 2019
      • Trump Administration Requests Supreme Court Review of Medicaid Work Requirements
      • Representative Payee: Not a Job to Be Taken Lightly
      • What Happens to Assets Left in a Special Needs Trust on the Death of the Beneficiary?
      • National Estate Planning Awareness Week - October 19-25, 2020
      • SCAM ALERT: Beware of Recorded Deed Notice
    • September
      • Consider Putting Recipients’ Pandemic Relief Payments in an ABLE Account
      • Study Points to High COVID-19 Infection Rates in Group Homes
      • IRS Reopens Portal to Allow Parents to Obtain Additional Stimulus Payments
      • COVID-19 Has Loosened Some ADA Workplace Protections, So Know Your Rights
      • Elder Abuse Takes Many Forms
    • August
      • Theft from SNT Highlights Value of Using a Professional Trustee
      • Child Support and Special Needs: Six Important Questions
      • Disability Rights Advocates Push for End to SSDI Waiting Periods
      • Estate Planning for College Students?
    • July
      • Exclusive Webinars with Gateway Learning Group
    • June
      • June 15th Is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day
      • Free Webinar: Planning for Their Future
    • March
      • Generation Skipping Trust
      • What is Hospice Care?
      • The Importance Of End Of Life Planning
      • Improper Discharge or Transfer of Nursing Home Resident
    • February
      • Fraud Scams Against Seniors
      • The High Cost of Raising a Special Needs Child
      • COVID-19 MESSAGE
    • January
      • Establishing a Special Needs Trust
      • Detecting the Financial Exploitation of Seniors
      • Planning for Long Term Care
  • 2019
    • December
      • Important Legal Strategies for Encountering a Major Health Event
      • Using Your Will to Determine How Debts are Paid Off
      • When Trustees Breach Their Legal Duty
    • November
      • 5 Reason Not to Use a Free Power of Attorney Off the Internet
      • Charitable Donations
      • Getting a Conservatorship for an Elderly Family Member with Alzheimers Disease
    • October
      • Commonly Overlooked Issues in Estate Planning
      • When is a Conservatorship Necessary
      • Modify Your Living Trust
      • A Guide to Removing a Trustee
    • September
      • Preventing Potential Family Conflicts with Your Estate Plan
      • Reasons to Avoid Procrastinating Your Estate Planning
      • Contesting the Validity of the Will
      • Understanding Probate
    • August
      • The Most Important Estate Planning Documents
  • 2015
    • February
      • When Even Good Planning May Not Be Enough
      • Laura's Law Now in Contra Costa County
  • 2014
    • June
      • Estate Protection Legislation for Medi-Cal
      • Special Needs Meets Deadly Force Again
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