Administering the California Special Needs Trust: A Guide for Trustees and Those Who Advise Them

Administering a special needs trust (SNT) is a very important job, which often has a profound impact on the life of persons with disabilities. In most cases, the SNT trustee is providing the beneficiary goods and services that enhances their quality of life. In some cases, the SNT trustee may be the only person looking to the beneficiary’s welfare. Thus, the role of SNT trustee is often a more substantial role than in many other types of trusteeships. The great SNT trustee is a solid financial manager, accountant, record keeper, legal counselor, public benefits advisor, social worker, housing coordinator, civil rights advocate, guardian, and life coach. Moreover, the world of public benefits for the disabled is a complex one that requires careful study. It is very easy to mess up these rules and using common sense will generally lead to a loss of public benefits and potential liability for an SNT trustee. This is why authors Kevin Urbatsch and Michele Fuller published their book titled Administering the California Special Needs Trust. Kevin and Michele recruited several of their professional colleagues to assist in preparing this Third Edition of the book including Jessica Farinas, Robert Nuddleman, Herb Thomas, Courtney Kosnik, Scott MacDonald, and Daniel Cutter. The book is written in question and answer format to cover all aspects of administering a special needs trust. In addition, there are multiple checklists, sample forms, and summaries included that will allow a trustee to confidently manage any type of special needs trust, Administering the California Special Needs Trust contains a wide range of information for those charged with the responsibility of managing an SNT for persons with disabilities.