Seminars

Members of Spain, Spain & Varnet P.C. speak regularly on estate planning generally and planning for those with special needs.  Listed below are some upcoming events.  To inquire about or schedule a presentation for your organization, please contact Lena Patel

UPCOMING SEMINARS

Transition Summit
Hosted by: Connect to Community
April 18, 2020 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Various presenters

Nancy Spain’s presentation will include: an overview of special needs trusts, identifying the various types of special needs trusts and when to use each type; how and when to establish a Special Needs Trust; funding and administration; and how ABLE Accounts can enhance the benefit of a Special Needs trust

Additional details regarding venue and registration to come.

http://www.connecttocommunityinc.org/events/

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Spain, Spain & Varnet, P.C. – Annual Seminar
How to Administer a Special Needs Trust – POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
By: Richard C. Spain, J.D., LL.M. – Tax, Theresa M. Varnet, J.D., M.S.W., and Nancy M. Spain, J.D
At: Hilton DoubleTree Lisle/Naperville Hotel, 3003 Corporate West Drive, Lisle.

Information regarding registration to come.

This seminar is for Parents, Trustees and Successor Trustees of Special Needs Trusts and OBRA ’93 Trusts, and will address the unique needs that families have in planning for the financial and legal future of their relative with a disability.

Two new laws became effective on January 1, 2020, the Illinois Trust Code was signed into law and replaces the Illinois Trusts and Trustees Act.  We will discuss what the new Trust Code means for trustees and trust makers.  We encourage trustees to attend to understand this new code.  In addition the SECURE Act also became effective on January 1, 2020.  This new federal tax law dramatically changes estate planning options for retirement plan assets.  How to avoid the 1/3rd loss of SSI Benefits through the use of an ABLE Account will also be covered.  The ABLE Act provides a unique solution to losing 1/3rd of SSI benefits if SSI Recipient is unable to pay for his fair share of household expenses.  This and other helpful tips for trustees of SNTs will be shared.

Seminar topics will include:

  • Trustee Basics: Types of SNTs and when to use each type
  • Beneficiary Designations/ Funding 3rd and 1st Party SNTs
  • Guardianship and Alternatives to Guardianship
  • Government Benefits Overview and Update/Review Legislation
  • ABLE Act
  • General Estate Planning
  • Estate Tax Update
  • SECURE Act
  • Income Tax Requirements and IRA rules
  • The new Illinois Trust Code
  • Administrative Challenges
  • Selecting an Attorney

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Evaluating Guardianship and other Assisted Decision-Making Alternatives
Hosted by: Oak Wealth Advisors
May 14, 2020, 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Von Steuben Metropolitan Science Center
Von Steuben Social Room
5039 North Kimball Avenue
Chicago IL

Presenters: Mike Walthers (Oak Wealth Advisors), and
Nancy M. Spain J.D. (Spain, Spain & Varnet P.C.)

The options for assisted decision-making for those with special needs can be confusing, costly, and overwhelming for parents and caregivers. Oak Wealth Advisors‘, Mike Walther, along with Nancy Spain, a special needs estate planning and guardianship attorney from Spain, Spain and Varnet with decades of experience, will help families compare their options so that they can be confident in making the best decision for their loved one.

RSVP by May 7th to Jen Cook
jmcook2@cps.edu
773-534-5118

Click here for more information and how to register

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www.thearcofil.org Committed to empowering persons with disabilities to achieve full participation in community life through informed choices.

www.arcmass.org The online resource has been developed to provide you with easy access to facts, contacts, and news updates that will help you learn more about our constituents and our advocacy.

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www.thearclink.org TheArcLink is a nonprofit joint venture with The Arc of the United States and provides people with direct access to vital information. TheArcLink is a free public service to people with disabilities and their families.

www.nami.org The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) is a nonprofit, grassroots, self-help, support and advocacy organization of consumers, families, and friends of people with severe mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, major depression, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and anxiety disorders.

www.specialneedsplanners.com Among the many challenges facing parents of children with special needs is planning for the time when the parents will no longer be around to act as the primary care givers. In many cases, expenses will increase when care, management and guidance – previously provided by parents – must instead be obtained from a professional for a fee. Planning by parents can make all the difference in the life of the child with special needs, as well as in that of his or her siblings who may be left with the responsibility for care taking (on top of their own careers and caring for their own families and, possibly, ailing parents). And while every family’s situation is unique, the purpose of this site, sponsored by the Academy of Special Needs Planners, is to provide a general overview of strategies parents and others can use to plan for their own futures and for those of family members with special needs.