Dear Client and Friends,  At Littman Krooks, the health and safety of our clients and staff is our highest priority. We pride ourselves on exemplary and individualized services to our clients. We are writing to provide you with the steps that we are taking to protect you and our staff against the spread of the…

By Sandi Rosenbaum, Special Needs/Special Education Advocate, Littman Krooks  LLP Preparing for jobs, college and beyond is challenging for young adults with autism and families.  College readiness is fundamentally different from high school competence.  Many of the demands of college are not generally imposed in high school, especially upon students with disabilities: Student, not parent…

By Marion M. Walsh, Esq., Littman Krooks LLP The transition to college and young adulthood, while exciting, can be difficult for parents. Parents must not overlook obtaining advance consent from their children so they can have access to important health and educational information—or risk begin left out in an emergency. Once a person turns 18,…

A Special Needs Trust (SNT), also sometimes referred to as Supplemental Needs Trust, is a type of trust used to provide supplemental benefits to individuals with disabilities without disqualifying them for government benefits such as Medicaid and SSI. An SNT pays for goods and services that government benefits do not otherwise provide for. Examples of…

Once you have decided to establish a Living Special Needs Trust, you must also decide whether or not this trust will be revocable or irrevocable. There are benefits and drawbacks of each type of trust, and you must carefully consider your family’s circumstances before making a decision.

With a Revocable Trust, you retain the right to add or subtract assets to the trust at any time. This gives you a great degree of flexibility, as you can manage the trust according to your family’s changing life circumstances…

By Rachel Johnston, Esq., Littman Krooks LLP ABLE Accounts are designed for individuals with disabilities to assist them in saving money and accumulating a savings account without jeopardizing their access to government benefits. Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) accounts have been around for a few years. Accounts holding up to $100,000 maintain eligibility for…

A guardian is someone who is appointed to make important decisions for another person who is not able to make those decisions on their own. This may be for a child, an adult with intellectual or developmental disabilities, or an adult who becomes incapacitated. In New York State, different types of guardianship petitions are filed…

By Marion M. Walsh, Esq., Littman Krooks LLP We all wish you a holiday season filled with peace, joy, and success. We recognize how difficult this season can be for those with disabilities or mental health challenges and for the elderly. During this time of year, especially, we remember all of those vulnerable individuals, particularly…

By Amy C. O’Hara, Esq., CELA®, Littman Krooks LLP Whether you are a trustee of a supplemental needs trust (SNT) or a parent who created a SNT, it is good practice to have the trust reviewed periodically with your special needs planning attorney. Some questions which should be reviewed include: Have there been any changes…

By Sandi Rosenbaum, Educational Advocate, Littman Krooks LLP Relocation to another state is a complex prospect for individuals with disabilities and their families. Jason DaSilva’s NY Times Op-Doc  of July 24, “How Healthcare Makes Disability a Trap,” illustrates an important aspect of life for people with disabilities. Mr. DaSilva, who has multiple sclerosis and relies…