We meet the lifetime legal needs of children and adults with disabilities, the elderly, and their families.
Transitioning into a new school year can be exhausting; watching your child run out of his/her flip flops and walking into their school shoes. As parents, you understand the importance of having perfectly fitted shoes when strolling into the school year. It is equally important to have an academic plan tailored to your child’s needs. Students who require specially designed…
While catching up on recent news, I came across this advice column about a man’s decision to divorce his terminally ill wife. It made me very sad for the couple. It also reminded me that many people might believe this is their only resort when a spouse is facing devastating illness that requires long-term care. The husband must have felt…
Solving problems for our clients is stressful work for all involved. It is stressful for our elderly who need care. It is stressful for their spouses. It is stressful for adult children caring for their parents. It is stressful for parents taking care of their loved ones with special needs. Often, the system seems too complicated and the obstacles too…
Donald and Shirley engaged Hickman & Lowder to draft their estate plan with special needs considerations in the early 1990s. At that time, their daughter, Angela, who has a developmental disability, was living with them and receiving minimal benefits from the government. Donald and Shirley put a trust in place to provide for Angela after they both were gone. When…
Question: What is the school’s obligation to transport my child if we take the Jon Peterson or Autism scholarships? Answer: There’s no obligation on the part of the public school district to provide transportation just because your child has a disability. But, you can use the scholarship funds to pay for private transportation if the IEP identifies the need for…
Determining whether or not you or a loved one is entitled to Social Security Income (SSI) can be tricky. SSI is a needs-based program that looks at income and assets to determine eligibility. In fact, income reduces or eliminates SSI payments. One way to ensure our clients keep their SSI is by using an assignment to a Medicaid payback Special…
When it comes to the everyday life of an individual who has a developmental disability, life can present unexpected obstacles not only for the individual, but for family and friends, as well. The challenges are made easier through well-planned trusts which protect important government benefits, such as Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and ensure that when the parent passes…
I recently saw the following post in a private Facebook group for residents of my city: “Wanted ASAP: Live-in caregiver for adult woman with Cerebral Palsy and a developmental disability. Clearances mandatory. PM me for details.” It gave me pause. My first thought was that of concern for the person in need of caregiving. To me, this situation seemed ripe…
In Stan Lee’s iconic story of “Spider-Man,” young Peter Parker fails to stop a robbery, which leads to the death of his uncle. Thereafter, Peter is the crime-stopping Spider-Man. Peter’s double life then centers on protecting others from abuse. Sadly, there has been recent news that Stan Lee was the victim of financial exploitation at the hands of his business…
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has identified about 80 nursing homes nationwide that are subject to increased oversight because the facilities have “substantially failed” to meet the required care standards and resident protections mandated by federal and state regulations. These facilities are part of CMS’s Special Focus Facilities Program and are subject to increased monitoring as a result…