Planning for a loved one with special needs or disabilities

Jonathan Desautels is the Branch Leader of Fidelity's Stamford, Connecticut investor center. He has over 17 years of experience at Fidelity helping clients and their families reach their financial goals. He received his Bachelor of Business Studies (BBS) from Southern New Hampshire University in 2013.

Kelly joined Fidelity in 2011 and has held positions as a director of Estate Planning and a director, wealth strategist. Her current role is as a vice president of Advanced Planning. In this role, she educates both clients and the broader Fidelity organization regarding family wealth planning strategies, including estate, trust, gift, and charitable planning techniques.

Prior to joining Fidelity, she spent 17 years as an estate planning attorney with several firms including Devine, Millimet & Branch; Hinckley, Allen & Snyder; and Donahue & Donahue.

Kelly holds a bachelor of arts degree in business and education from Providence College and a juris doctor from Suffolk University Law School. She has passed the Series 7 and 66 exams.

Ann Koerner is President and Founder of National Care Advisors—a firm dedicated to providing consulting services for attorneys, financial planners and trustees. National Care Advisors provides care and quality of life planning services for those families faced with physical disability, mental illness, developmental disability, or eldercare issues. Services include planning and case management applicable to Special Needs Trusts and government benefits preservation. National Care Advisors also specializes in post-litigation resolution consulting services specific to lien negotiation, Medicare Set Aside projections and administration.

Prior to the inception of National Care Advisors in 2008, Ann’s nursing practice has been dedicated to developing effective disability management solutions for injured and ill workers. As a result of her work with many national corporations, Ann possesses extensive business knowledge of case management, utilization review, third party payers, workers’ compensation, private insurance companies and government resources.

Ann received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Russell Sage College in Troy, New York. She began her nursing practice as a Public Health Nurse in New York and then continued that practice with the City of Columbus Health Department in Ohio. Her combined expertise in analysis of future care and quality of life needs, cost projections, and knowledge of third party benefits is significant to her success as a consultant. She has served as an expert witness throughout the United States for litigated cases involving medical malpractice and injury lawsuits.

National Care Advisors serves clients in all 50 states and is known for client-centered, practical solutions to meeting the needs of individuals and families with special needs challenges.

Ken Shulman assists individuals and families with estate planning and related issues for elders and families with disabled children. He frequently represents clients in guardianship matters and serves as a trustee for families.

Ken's work in disabilities planning has led him to volunteer with organizations that provide services to persons with special needs. Currently, he chairs the Disabilities Committee of Combined Jewish Philanthropies and he recently completed two terms on the Board of Directors of the Asperger's Association of New England. He previously served as a board member for several human service agencies, including the Greater Boston ARC. He has also served as a consultant to the Massachusetts Office of Handicapped Affairs, the Massachusetts Disability Law Center, and the Massachusetts Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee.

Ken speaks to consumer groups, professionals in the field and others interested in issues related to estate planning, aging, disability, advocacy, financial planning and the preservation of government entitlements. He is also a frequent presenter for lawyer training sessions and regular contributor to publications of Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education (MCLE), including serving as a featured speaker on Medicare and Medicaid liens in personal injury cases at several MCLE Elder & Disability Law Conferences. He is the co-author of the widely acclaimed book, Managing a Special Needs Trust: A Guide for Trustees.

In addition to his estate planning practice, Ken has extensive experience handling real estate and business matters for his estate planning clients.

Meredith Greene advises individuals and families on estate planning, particularly special needs planning, guardianship, conservatorship, adult services advocacy and government benefits advocacy. Meredith represent clients in all aspects of estate and generational wealth planning, probate matters and estate administration.

Meredith develops first-party and third-party supplemental needs trusts, irrevocable trusts, marital deduction trusts, wills, health care proxies, HIPAA release authorizations, durable powers of attorney and appointments of advocate. She also performs trust reviews and serves as a professional trustee on special needs trusts.

Meredith represents families in guardianship and conservatorship proceedings. In addition, she advocates for clients with the Department of Developmental Services and disability service providers, and represents clients in Social Security Administration appeals. Meredith has been appointed and has served as guardian ad litem in probate court matters.

Meredith was trained as a parent advocate, representing children and families in the area of special education, through the Federation of Children with Special Needs. She is a member of multiple organizations on behalf of individuals with special needs. Meredith speaks often covering diverse topics, including special needs planning, guardianship and alternatives/supported decision making, and government benefits for individuals with special needs.