Thursday, Nov, 02, 2023
18th Annual Illinois Statewide Transition Conference 11/02/23
Thursday, Nov, 09, 2023
Brian Rubin to speak IN-PERSON at NAMI McHenry County 11/09/23 @ 6:00pm – on Guardianship for 18+ and older adults/ aging parents
Thursday, Mar, 07, 2024
Parent Education presentation for NSSEO 03/07/24
College Assistance for Young Adults with Disabilities
As children with special needs complete high school and become adults, parents may be looking for additional educational opportunities for them. Fortunately, your family may be able to take advantage of some forms of assistance that may enable, support, and …
Continue reading
Financial Resources for Parents of Children with Special Needs
Supporting children with special needs typically goes far beyond age 18 and often is a lifelong commitment. Children with special needs may also have more financial needs than other children, especially if they have complex medical problems or require a …
Continue reading
Issues to Consider When Your Child with Special Needs Turns 22
If you have a child over the age of 18 who is currently receiving special education services, you likely had to make some important decisions and changes as your child turned 18 and became a legal adult. However, turning age …
Continue reading
5 Issues to Consider Before Your Child with Special Needs Turns 18
As the parent of a child with special needs, your role as a parent becomes different when your child becomes a legal adult. Although your child may have some or all the same needs for assistance from you, your legal …
Continue reading
How Will My Divorce Affect My Child with Special Needs?
Divorce in the United States today is common, and some studies suggest that parents of children with special needs may have even higher rates of divorce than other married couples. The personal, medical, and financial challenges that often accompany a …
Continue reading
How Social Security Evaluates A Trust As A Countable Resource
A person’s resources affect the ability to qualify for crucial government benefits. The Social Security Administration (SSA) sets forth resource limits for SSI applicants and recipients. For example, to qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), countable resources must not be worth more …
Continue reading
I’ve Established A Third Party Special Needs Trust, What’s Next?
Establishing a third-party special needs trust is a major step in providing for the needs of an individual with disabilities. Special needs trusts are complex and may be difficult to understand and administer. Once the trust documents have been signed, …
Continue reading
What Expenses Can A Special Needs Trust Pay?
The purpose of a third party special needs trust is to provide persons with disabilities the means to augment their quality of life while enabling them to remain eligible for needs-based public benefits. While a special needs trust is a valuable tool …
Continue reading
Understanding Eligibility Rules for Means-Tested Programs, Part Two
The second part of this blog will discuss the way that income is characterized for a means-tested entitlement program and how it affects a benefit award. The federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program rules distinguish between and characterize income in …
Continue reading
Understanding Eligibility Rules for Means-Tested Programs, Part One
Eligibility rules for many critical essential entitlements are means-based. Thus, any income and assets received by an individual with disabilities will affect the benefit awards that they potentially receive from these types of entitlement programs. Therefore, the effect of these …
Continue reading
State Increasing Funding For I/DD Community
After a federal judge admonished the State of Illinois in 2017 for failing to meet the requirements of a 2011 consent decree requiring more community-based services for the intellectually and developmentally disabled (I/DD) community, Governor J.B. Pritzker has proposed a …
Continue reading
Your Teachers’ Retirement System Pension (TRS) Can Provide Benefits For Individuals With Special Needs
The Illinois Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS) provides retirement benefits for workers in the educational system including: classroom teachers, regional superintendents school administrators school nurses, social workers, and psychologists school librarians other school-related positions requiring licensure. …
Continue reading
Letter To Siblings
Message from Brian Rubin, attorney, founder of Rubin Law & the father of a son with autism, among other special needs… To the brothers and sisters of children and adults with special needs… We, your parents, fear that no one will …
Continue reading
Sibling Perspectives on Special Needs
By Benjamin A. Rubin, Esq. When a family member has special needs, siblings grow up fast. Parents sometimes speak of how life changed for them when they began caring for a child with disabilities, but for me, and for many …
Continue reading
Heart to Heart Family Educational Group Presentations
TO FELLOW FAMILIES OF CHILDREN & ADULTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS, When you have a child with special needs, planning for that child’s future can be an overwhelming task. Where do you begin? Who has the answers? How do you find …
Continue reading
Guidance & Information Article
THIS ARTICLE BY BRIAN N. RUBIN WAS PUBLISHED IN THE EXCEPTIONAL PARENT MAGAZINE © FEBRUARY 2011 THE GUIDANCE AND INFORMATION DOCUMENT FOR FUTURE CARE PROVIDERS AND TRUSTEES Why do it, when to do it, what it should include… Brian Rubin …
Continue reading
Guidance for Future Care Providers & Handbook for Trustees
Contact our office by email to request a form “Letter of Intent” or Letter of Guidance for Future Care Providers (Will be sent in PDF format), including Guardians, Agency Staff, Family Members, etc. In addition, contact our office to request …
Continue reading
MetLife Letter of Intent Article
GUIDANCE AND INFORMATION FOR FUTURE CARE PROVIDERS AND TRUSTEES What parent’s often forget . . . By Brian Neal Rubin J.D. Attorney & Fellow Parent As parents of children with special needs, we possess a vast amount of information about …
Continue reading
Parenting Special Needs Magazine Letter of Intent Article
Running START First Steps for Writing the Letter of Intent by Brian Neal Rubin J.D. Special Needs Alliance The letter of intent (LOI), though not a legal document, plays a central role in your child’s special needs plan, putting its …
Continue reading
The Special Needs Alliance
SNA is the national, not for profit, membership by invitation, organization of attorneys, dedicated to the practice of special needs estate and future planning, disability law and public benefits law. Individuals with disabilities, their families, and their advisors may rely …
Continue reading
Military Pensions Article
MILITARY PENSIONS & SPECIAL NEEDS TRUSTS BACKGROUND: Many military families with disabled children face a dilemma about whether or not to choose the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) retirement option. SBP will pay up to 55% (with annual inflation adjustments) …
Continue reading
What Is A Qualified Disability Trust Article
WHAT IS A QUALIFIED DISABILITY TRUST? Trusts are not allowed the deduction for personal and dependency exemptions under § 151 of the Internal Revenue Code. Instead, a trust that under its governing instruments is required to distribute all of its …
Continue reading
Section 8 Housing Article
Section 8 Housing & Special Needs Trusts Introduction: The federal government subsidizes housing for individuals with disabilities. The subsidies come in the form of below market-rent units in public and private housing developments and vouchers for use in the private …
Continue reading
The Pickle Rule Article
The Pickle Rule The Pickle Rule is named after former U.S. Representative James (“Jake”) Pickle. In 1976, Pickle objected to an annual Cost of Living Allowance (“COLA”) for Social Security benefits because that small increase in income would cost some …
Continue reading
