Agenda

1. The Paralegal's Role in Special Needs Planning

   1. Where Paralegals Fit in the SNT Workflow: Intake Through Termination
   2. Working With the Planning Team: Coordinating Between Attorneys, Care Managers, and Financial Advisors
   3. Red Flags to Escalate to Supervising Attorneys

2. Public Benefits Every SNT Paralegal Must Know

   1. SSI vs. SSDI: What Paralegals Need to Track (Income Limits, Resource Limits, Redetermination Cycles)
   2. Medicaid and Waiver Programs: State Variation and Why It Affects Your Work
   3. How a Direct Inheritance or Settlement Payment Can Disqualify a Beneficiary (and What to Do When You Catch It at Intake)
   4. The "Sole Benefit" Requirement: Recognizing Language That Puts Benefits at Risk

3. Running the Trust Day-to-Day

   1. Setting up Trust Accounts and Building an Administrative File
   2. Processing Distribution Requests: The Intake-to-Approval Workflow
   3. Permitted vs. Impermissible Distributions: Applying the In-Kind Support and Maintenance (ISM) Rules in Practice
   4. Documentation Standards: What Records Protect the Trust in a Redetermination Review
   5. Preparing Annual Accountings and Reports
   6. Communicating With SSA and State Medicaid Agencies: What Paralegals Can and Cannot Do

4. Knowing Your Trust Types

   1. First-Party (d4A) Trusts: What Triggers the Payback Requirement and How to Flag It During File Review
   2. Third-Party Trusts: What the Paralegal Prepares Differently
   3. Pooled Trusts: The Intake Process and Referral Workflow
   4. ABLE Accounts: When to Flag Them as an Alternative or Supplement

5. Supporting SNT Drafting

   1. Mandatory vs. Discretionary Distribution Language: What Paralegals Review For
   2. Common Drafting Errors to Catch Before the Document Goes Out
   3. Preparing Drafts for Attorney Review: Checklists and Quality Control
   4. Organizing and Tracking Client-Specific Provisions Across Multiple Trust Documents

6. Coordinating Trust Funding

   1. Litigation Proceeds and Structured Settlements: Coordinating With the SNT Before Settlement Closes
   2. Inheritance and Beneficiary Designations: Preparing Retitling Instructions and Updating Estate Planning Documents
   3. Life Insurance Policies: Beneficiary Designation Language and Confirmation Procedures
   4. Retirement Accounts: Flagging Planning Issues for Attorney Review
   5. Avoiding the Most Common Funding Mistake: Direct Payments to the Beneficiary