Should I ask one of my other children to be the trustee for my child with special needs?
Choosing a trustee to oversee a trust for your child with special needs can be difficult. Just as the name implies, you should look for someone you can trust. That’s why many parents opt to ask another adult child to …
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Can I leave my SURS pension to my child with special needs?
No parents of a child with special needs want their son or daughter to be forced to rely solely on public assistance programs like Social Security disability, Supplemental Security and Medicaid to survive. So, they often look at their options …
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How do I put money into my child’s special needs trust?
A third party special needs trust is an important tool in long-term planning for a child with special needs. A special needs trust can help parents plan and maintain the child’s financial stability while ensuring his or her long-term eligibility …
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Choosing a residential program for your child with special needs
Parents of a child with special needs share a very big fear: what will happen after they are gone. Planning for that future is not just legal and financial it is also about creating the customized supports …
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My child with special needs just received a settlement from a lawsuit. What do I do now?
Adults with special needs often receive SSI and Medicaid to help cover the costs of their living and medical expenses. Some of them have been disabled as a result of a personal injury or medical malpractice. Either way, a settlement …
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Special needs trusts and how to fund them
A special needs trust is likely the best way to plan for your child’s future. It can help pay for things not covered by government assistance, such as transportation, education, computer equipment and medical expenses that public benefits do not …
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What government benefits can my child with special needs qualify for and when?
Raising a child with special needs is challenging. Many families seek public assistance as a way to help cover the living expenses and health care costs associated with the child’s disability. Once a child reaches the age of 18, he …
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Can I leave my military pension to my child with special needs?
The federal government offers the men and women who make up the U.S. armed forces an insurance plan that covers retirement income that is lost when the service member dies. Called the Survivor Benefit Plan, the program gives widowed military …
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When parents of a child with special needs divorce
A number of studies suggest that the divorce rate is much higher among couples who have a child with special needs compared to those who do not. The personal and financial challenges that come with having a child with special …
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What is the Illinois Health Surrogate Act and how does it apply to my child with special needs?
Everyone is considered a legal adult as of their 18th birthday. That includes children with special needs, no matter how severe or debilitating their disabilities might be. For parents, the right to make health decisions for their children with special …
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What are the different types of special needs trusts and how can they benefit my child with special needs?
Special needs trusts are an important part of estate planning for parents of a child with special needs. They offer benefits unique to a child with special needs that carry on through his or her lifetime. However, there are different …
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The grandparents of my child with special needs left him an inheritance. What do we do?
Grandparents love their grandchildren and want to help provide for them. Many well-meaning grandparents leave their grandsons and granddaughters a small inheritance in their wills. But however good the intention, even a tiny inheritance can potentially cause hardship for a …
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What will happen to my child with special needs when I die?
Preparing for the future is so important — especially for parents of a child with special needs. Every parent of a child with special needs must consider the possibility that he or she may die or become incapacitated and unable …
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Mitchell Rubin
Brian Rubin’s son and Benjamin Rubin’s brother, Mitch, who has autism among other diagnosed special needs, lives in a group home in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. He works in the community with a job coach during the week. Mitch …
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