Special Needs Trusts

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

A new law just passed by Congress and signed by President Obama will allow people with disabilities who became disabled before they turned 26 to set aside up to $14,000 a year in tax-free savings accounts without affecting their eligibility...

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...

Despite being the beneficiary of a multi-million dollar special needs trust, Mark Holman never saw a cent until a New York judge intervened. The case illustrates the difficulties those creating trusts face when choosing a trustee for a special needs...

Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.) introduced the Special Needs Trust Fairness Act of 2013, a bill that would allow people with disabilities to create first-party special needs trusts to hold their assets without interfering with their access to Supplemental Security Income...

In a recent New York case, an institutional trustee has been ordered to pay back a special needs trust almost $180,000 for its failure to make certain that the beneficiary qualified for available public benefits.