"Written with both compassion and expertise, this bestselling book provides families with a comprehensive guide to planning for the lifetime needs of a child with disabilities. It presents the Five Factors readers need to consider-family and support, emotional, financial, legal, and government benefits-and how to plan for these factors at every stage of a child's life. The second edition includes updates based on current law, fully revised chapters with a wealth of practical recommendations, and a ten-step, manageable planning process. Online resources include fillable timelines, worksheets, and other planning documents to help families create a secure, full, and happy life for and with their child"--

The purpose of special needs planning is to create the best possible life for an adult with a disability. This book provides comprehensive guidance on creating a life plan to transition a special needs child to independence or to ensure they are well cared for in the future. Beginning with a vision of a meaningful life for the child, Hal Wright explains how to form a practical plan to reach these goals, how to mentor personal empowerment and task skills, and how to create circles of support to sustain a life plan. He next looks at employment and residential options, and government programs available in the United States. Finally he talks the reader through important financial and legal considerations, including how to fund and manage a special needs trust. This book will be essential reading for all parents or guardians of a child with a cognitive, mental or physical impairment. It will also be of interest to attorneys, financial planners, insurance agents, trust officers and other professionals looking to better serve the special needs community.

When your adult son or daughter is diagnosed with a serious mental illness, everything changes. Suddenly all your financial planning is thrown into turmoil as your focus turns from your needs to the immediate and long-term care of your child. The costs of diagnosis and treatments can derail your retirement plans unless you develop a financial strategy that provides for your child's future while safeguarding your own. Allen Giese has been where you are, and in this practical, compassionate handbook he offers invaluable advice, solutions, resources, and hope, including how to: - Invest efficiently - Apply for (and keep) government benefits - Build a systematic financial plan - Create ABLE accounts and special needs trusts - Take advantage of strategic life insurance - Avoid crucial mistakes - And more When mental illness strikes, you don't have to sacrifice your financial security. This book can be your lifeline to the best possible future for yourself and your children.

First comparative study of major special needs financial planning mechanisms, namely guardianship, enduring/lasting powers of attorney, and special needs trusts.

This simple, step-by-step comprehensive guide helps families and professionals plan for the future care, supervision, security and quality of life for a person with special needs.

Legal Planning for Special Needs is a must have resource for parents of children with disabilities and the professionals and advocates who assist them. In an easy-to-read, conversational style, the author covers the essential elements of SSI, guardianship, and estate planning when there is a child with a disability in the family. This book, which updates an earlier edition, covers the 2009 changes in the Massachusetts guardianship laws.

A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO LEGAL PLANNING for Massachusetts parents of children with special needs. In a relaxed conversational style, Attorney Barbara Jackins explains the essential elements of SSI, guardianship, public benefits, and estate planning when there is a family member with a disability. Families will find the information they need to:* Obtain SSI benefits for a child who is age 18 or older* Contribute to a child's financial support without reducing public benefits* Understand the court process for guardianship* Learn about the alternatives to guardianship* Secure a child's financial future with a special needs trust

A handbook of information for parents as they plan for their child's life after their own deaths. Easy to understand, describes step-by-step all of the elements that parents must consider to provide a happy and fulfilling life for their child with a disability--Cover.

In Administering the California Special Needs Trust, author Kevin Urbatsch presents a guide for anyone assigned the duty of managing a Special Needs Trust for a person with a disability. Though geared toward those who never have administered a trust, it also provides sophisticated answers for experienced trustees concerning some of the unique responsibilities a trustee of a special needs trust will encounter. Urbatsch, a California attorney who has years of experience in assisting trustees to manage special needs trusts, has written extensively for both attorneys and families on how best to establish a special needs trust. Administering the Special Needs Trust addresses specific California issues that a special needs trust trustee encounters daily. In a question-and-answer format, it addresses how to - avoid the most common mistakes made by SNT trustees; - understand the type of public benefits available for California persons with disabilities; - learn how SNT disbursements will affect these public benefits; - best pay for a person with a disability's housing, caregiver costs, transportation, and related expenses; - handle SNT investments, accountings, and taxes; - terminate the SNT. With checklists, form documents, and law summaries included, Administering the Special Needs Trust contains a wide range of information for those charged with the responsibility of managing a special needs trust for people with disabilities.

Planning for one's financial future can sometimes be difficult. Raising children also has its challenges. Now imagine how hard it is for parents of special needs children to plan not only for their retirement but for the long-term care of their children. One entrepreneurial certified financial planner has dedicated the last three decades of her practice to helping families of special needs children. She has just released a book that assists them through the emotional, legal, and financial pitfalls, Beyond a Parent's Love: Lessons Learned in Life Planning for Special Needs Children.