Estate Planning

The Social Security Administration (SSA) recently proposed new regulations for how it determines whether someone with a mental disorder is eligible for disability payments. Mental health advocates are concerned that the proposed rules will lead to the use of...

Gift cards are popular gifts, but they can cause problems for recipients who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Consider a few things when it comes to purchasing a gift card for a person with special needs who relies on this...

Several little-noticed provisions of the recently-enacted law that extended the Bush-era tax cuts fundamentally alter how the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medicaid programs treat tax refunds and other tax credits, making it easier for people with special needs to...

A recent case from California illustrates what can happen when good intentions go awry and you rely on a generic estate plan to distribute funds to a relative with special needs.

In the first part of a two-part series, we explore initial steps for trustees to take when it comes time to terminate a special needs trust.

In some cases, the donor of a special needs trust may want to provide an extra level of assistance to the trust's beneficiary by naming a trust adviser to assist the trustee with trust management. ...