Special Needs Trusts

The Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act gives some people with disabilities or their families the ability to establish tax-free savings accounts, but they may not be for everyone.  Here are some pros and cons of these new accounts...

Many people with special needs choose to live in group homes or supportive housing with other people with special needs.

Leaving a child with special needs out of your estate plan is almost always the wrong way to help the child.

A law passed in 2014 allows people with disabilities who became disabled before they turned 26 to set aside up to $18,000 a year (as of 2024) in tax-free savings accounts without affecting their eligibility for government benefits.  ...

An estimated 20 percent of military-connected children have special needs. Under the National Defense Authorization Act of 2015, military members can designate their child's special needs trust as the beneficiary of their Survivor Benefit Plan.

Here are seven questions to ask before accepting appointment as a trustee of a special needs trust.

Unfortunately, too many trustees of special needs trusts or those who oversee funds for people with special needs don't even know that they have a duty to account for the funds they manage, let alone perform that duty correctly.

A recent story on National Public Radio’s "All Things Considered" featured Academy of Special Needs Planners member attorney Theresa Varnet.   ...

A California jury recently returned a $23 million verdict against a contractor who took advantage of a trustee of a special needs trust who suffered from depression and substance abuse. While the contractor's actions were egregious, the case also highlights...