New Book: Achieving Independence

Attorney and author Steve Dale has published a new book, Achieving Independence- A Guide to Creating an Estate Plan Which Ensures Quality of Life for You and Your Loved One with a Disability. According to the author

The primary purpose of this guide is to assist families in the planning process of creating a special needs trust for a loved one with a disability. Stephen shares with the reader his experience as an attorney that has focused primarily on estate planning for persons with disabilities and their families for the past 25 years. He also                         illustrates some of the challenges that persons with disabilities and their families face by sharing his experiences growing up in California’s State Hospital System as a child of three generations of institutional workers and later as a Psychiatric Technician giving direct care in a variety of psychiatric hospitals for 17 years.

 Stephen and his office developed the Achieving Independence System to educate clients on key issues and decisions commonly encountered in creating a special needs trust so clients can be better prepared before meeting with their attorneys and advisors to create a team that best serves their needs. After the plan is created, an effective plan will assist the trust management team to focus on what is really important;  to assist a person with a disability to live as independently as possible and to experience a quality of life that many persons who are not disabled take for granted. In essence to achieve the highest level of independence possible free from abuse and neglect.

The book runs 133 pages and is available from Amazon as a paperback for $20.00. Steve’s Independence project is explained on his website, Achieving Independence. Full disclosure, Steve is a friend and a regular speaker at Stetson’s annual Special Needs Conference.