What Every Parent of a Special Needs Child Needs to Know About the Law | Beyond the Bar Ep. 18

In this deeply personal and informative episode of Beyond the Bar, hosts Margarita Moshe and Oksana Davydova sit down with Jackie Cara: estate planning attorney, elder law specialist, and mother of twins with special needs — for a conversation that every parent, caregiver, and adult needs to hear. Jackie's path into law was anything but linear. She was a trial attorney in court every day, until she had twins who were born prematurely with special needs. What started as figuring out her own family's future became a calling: helping other families navigate the maze of guardianship, special needs planning, estate planning, and elder law. She opens up about the moment she realized even two lawyers couldn't make sense of the system on their own, why most parents of special needs children wait too long to plan, what happens when your child turns 19 and you no longer have legal authority to make decisions for them, and the real cost of doing nothing, both emotionally and financially. She also walks through what a proper estate plan actually looks like, why you don't need to be wealthy to need one, and what to do right now if you've been putting it off. Guest: Jackie Cara, Esq. — Estate Planning, Elder Law & Special Needs Attorney Beyond the Bar is a podcast by The Injury Group