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 an attorney who understands the financial, legal, and Illinois Governmental complexities of the special needs’ world? Could they possibly understand your emotions, concerns, and fears? Imagine the relief of finding attorneys who not only have the answers, but also have lived the very same experience. Discover professional advice…heartfelt compassion…and the unparalleled insight that only comes from being a fellow parent or sibling. That is what the “Family to Family”, “Heart to Heart” presentation is all about.  Attorney Brian Rubin, for more than 30 of his 36 years in practice, has dedicated his career to special needs legal & future planning, because, he too, is a parent of a child with special needs. Brian’s son, Mitchell, now 31, has Autism.  Brian’s son, Benjamin, Mitchell’s “little/big” Brother, an attorney, and a member of Rubin Law, often participates in the presentations, bringing the sibling perspective.  This is a unique presentation, offered as a public service. The presentation topics include:

*      Government Benefits: The who, what, where, when, why and how of SSDI, SSA, SSI, Medicaid, Medicare, residential funding, day program funding, and related matters.

*      Wills and Trusts: Special Needs Trusts, OBRA 93 Pay Back Trusts, Special Provisions in parents’ and extended family members’ Wills, Trusts, and Powers of Attorney, choosing future Guardians and Trustees, Short Term and Stand-By Guardian Declarations, Health Surrogate Act Declarations, and related matters.

*      The correct way to make gifts for a child who is or will be receiving SSI and/or Medicaid.

*      Necessary provisions in order for Divorce Child Support, when there is an adult child with special needs, not to prohibit, reduce, or eliminate Government Benefits.

*      Adult Guardianship and the Alternatives.

*      Communication: Guidance to “Future Team” (Trustees, Guardians, & Care Providers)

*      Navigating the “MAZE” of the State Services “when the bus stops coming”…