The Special Needs Alliance is a national, non-profit organization committed to helping individuals with disabilities, their families and the professionals who serve them. Many of our member attorneys have family members with special needs; all of them work regularly with public benefits, guardianships/conservatorships, planning for disabilities and special education issues. We volunteer significant time to the special needs community and advocate for legislative and regulatory change to improve quality of life for individuals with disabilities.
The SNA Helps Families
Special needs attorneys have daily experience with the issues that matter to individuals with disabilities– but which are largely unfamiliar to other counsel. We can advise you about:
- qualifying and applying for appropriate public benefits;
- creating special needs trusts (SNTs) to protect eligibility for means-tested government programs;
- availability of local services and supports;
- special education;
- guardianship and powers of attorney.
The SNA Helps Professionals
Special needs attorneys can offer guidance to the trustees, financial planners and personal injury attorneys who serve individuals with disabilities and their families. We can advise:
- personal injury attorneys on whether or not a special needs trust (SNT) should be created to hold settlement funds;
- structured settlement brokers on the apportionment of personal injury awards and the use of special needs trusts in conjunction with structured settlements;
- trustees regarding SNT distributions that will not disqualify one for public benefits.