Special Needs Planning Archives | Grady H. Williams, Jr. LL.M, Attorneys at Law

Category archives: Special Needs Planning

SSA Liberalizes Rules on When Special Needs Trusts Can Reimburse Family Members for Travel
7 years ago
Travel is sometimes necessary when a family has a child with special needs. Family members may need to visit the person with special needs, or a medical emergency may require travel to care for the loved one, or the family may simply want to take the child with special needs on vacation. For... [read more]

Feds Expand Oversight of Representative Payees for SSDI and SSI Recipients
7 years ago
For most Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries, the Social Security Administration (SSA) issues monthly checks directly to the recipients. However, where the recipients are incapable of making their own financial decisions, the SSA sends the... [read more]

Is Your Child Eligible for Childhood Disabled Beneficiary Benefits?
7 years ago
Understanding what benefits might be available to your child or loved one with special needs can be confusing. Different benefits apply in different circumstances, and sometimes different benefit programs can work together to help meet the needs of an individual. Childhood disabled beneficiary bene... [read more]

SNT Is Created in Excessive Force Settlement Between Man With Schizophrenia and Police
7 years ago
In an underreported case involving police violence, the state of California has agreed to pay nearly $1 million to a man with schizophrenia. The money will be placed in a special needs trust (SNT) to enhance the man’s quality of life while preserving his eligibility for public benefits. On D... [read more]

SSA Gives Guidance on the Use of Prepaid Debit Cards by Special Needs Trust Beneficiaries
7 years ago
Trustees of special needs trusts are increasingly relying on “administrator-managed prepaid debit cards,” such as True Link cards, when disbursing funds to beneficiaries. These cards offer trust beneficiaries greater independence and the ability to get what they need more quickly. But such cards e... [read more]

The Importance of Special Needs Trusts
7 years ago
Special Needs Trusts are an important part of Estate Planning for clients whose family members have disabilities or chronic illness. A Special Needs Trust (also referred to as a Supplemental Needs Trust) helps beneficiaries receive their inheritance while also following important guidelines regardin... [read more]

What is Estate Planning?
7 years ago
Estate Planning is a process through which you plan for your lifetime care decisions, in the event that you become mentally or physically incapacitated; and planning for the transfer of your assets to beneficiaries in the event of your death, while minimizing tax burdens for your beneficiaries and p... [read more]

May is National Elder Law Month
7 years ago
May is National Elder Law Month, as designated by the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. It is a way to acknowledge the profession that supports seniors and their families with all of their planning needs. Elder law attorneys help seniors and their loved one’s plan for the possibility of n... [read more]

Two Major Airlines Impose New Rules for Service and Emotional-Support Animals
7 years ago
In response to what they claim are growing complaints, two of the nation’s largest airlines – Delta and United – have imposed new rules effective March 1, 2018, regarding passengers traveling with service and emotional-support animals. Delta, which says travelers bring about 250,000 service or su... [read more]

Trump Administration Seeks to Delay Rules to Reduce Racial Bias in Special Education
7 years ago
The U.S. Department of Education (DOE) is proposing a two-year delay in Obama-era regulations aimed at reducing racial disparities in special education. Disability rights advocates are strongly opposing any delay. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires states to gathe... [read more]

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Structured Settlements
7 years ago
When victims of medical malpractice and other catastrophic accidents receive awards in personal injury lawsuits, obtaining the award is only half the battle. Of equal, or greater, importance for the person’s future is constructing the settlement structure in a way that best protects their long-term ... [read more]

Choosing Retirement Account Beneficiaries Requires Some Thought
7 years ago
While the execution of wills requires formalities like witnesses and a notary, the reality is that most property passes to heirs through other, less formal means. Many bank and investments accounts, as well as real estate, have joint owners who take ownership automatically at the death of the... [read more]