Special Needs Planning CLE

The American Bar Association Section of Real Property, Trust and Estate Law and the ABA Center for Continuing Legal Education are sponsoring a teleconference and live audio webcast on June 3, 2008 entitled Practical Aspects of Special Needs Planning Part 1: Government Benefits — What You Already Know and the Rest of the Story.

Here is a description of this program:

Planning for the future is never easy, and it can be even more difficult when a loved one is disabled. What are the best steps to provide for the future?  Do you have the specialized knowledge that will get your clients the security they need? Several estate planning attorneys have been disbarred or sued due to their failure to know the implications of SSI, Medicaid eligibility, and other special needs rules.  Don’t risk your client’s future plans or your license. This first program in our three-part series will focus on government benefits and cover such topics as:

• SSI and how to qualify for SSI payments
• The four types of SSI income and how they affect traditional trust administration
• The relationships between SSDI, SSI, Medicaid, and Medicare
• Important Social Security benefits
• How the Social Security Administration makes disability determinations —  the 5 Step Sequential Evaluation Process
• The seven stages of SSA Appeals
• The three great rules for distributions from trusts
• The transfer of assets penalty and what alternatives exist to avoid application to your client
• When a special needs trust is necessary and alternative planning techniques that work just as well