The Estate Planning Law Group

How DayOne Network Cares

Because we work with so many people who are doing their estate planning for the benefit of a loved one who has a disability, we often receive many questions about services available in the community. Family members are often overwhelmed trying to access the appropriate services and ask many questions, and we do the best we can to offer guidance.

Fortunately, we have strong relationships with many services providers in the community, and we can often provide referrals to the appropriate organization. We wish we had all the answers, but we don't. That's why we are so pleased to be able to refer people to a place that can meet their needs.

DayOne Network, Inc., a nonprofit, community based agency established in July, 1989, is one of those places! Because the delivery of social services for the disabled is highly decentralized in Illinois, local service coordination is a must.

Here's what DayOne Network provides . . . .

The organization provides service coordination and advocacy services to children and adults with developmental disabilities and/or delays in Kane and Kendall Counties and Hanover Township in Cook County.

Their purpose is to ensure that people with developmental delays and/or disabilities are identified, evaluated, and referred for services appropriate to their needs. Service Coordinators monitor the plan to ensure that it is fully implemented.

People seeking the assistance of DayOne Network include people entering the system for the first time as well as "long term users" experiencing changing service needs, emergency situations, or discontent with their current services. In addition, DayOneNetwork is the point of entry for infants and toddlers and their families to access services in the early intervention service system in Kane and Kendall Counties.

Individual Service Coordinators make the system work! They sort through the red tape and help families make informed decisions.

DayOne Network's sister organization, DayOne Reliance, provides solutions for people who want to set up trusts for their loved ones without jeopardizing governmental benefits.

DayOneNetwork receives funding from the state, charitable foundations, and individual donors.

There are many ways to help the organization. If you would like to be involved, please go ahead and contact Joyce Helander, the Executive Director, at 630-879-2277. She is warm, caring, and would love to hear from you.

Likewise, if you would like to make a charitable contribution to support the goals of the organization, you can find out more here.

© 2009 The Estate Planning Law Group.


WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you reference the author. For articles written by Kirsten, include everything in quotes with it: "© 2009 The Estate Planning Law Group. Written and edited by Kirsten Izatt.  Kirsten and Bill Deitch's mission is to ensure that the parents of children with special needs have the information and resources they need to build a fortress of protection around their child that will last a lifetime. Get their revealing, enlightening, and sometimes even humorous "SNAP" e-zine at www.SpecialNeedsAllianceProject.com."

Keeping the Family Together

There is nothing like young newlyweds starting their life together. You're young, you're in love, and even though there isn't much money in the bank account yet, life seems filled with promise. It all seems pretty simple. You get married, add your new spouse's name to your joint checking account, and you're ready to go.

Then life happens . . . You have children, one person grows a business; you start to accumulate life insurance, retirement accounts - even disability insurance. You may experience a divorce. There may be step children - even children from more than one marriage.

And, hardest of all, what happens when there is an untimely death of a spouse and, then, remarriage?

When my Mom was diagnosed with metastatic colon cancer almost four years ago, one of the first things my parents did was visit their estate planning attorney (it's not me!) to make sure their estate plan was up to date and made sense in light of her situation. They had worked with the same attorney for many years, but they still wanted to make sure their plan would work for them. By the time my mom passed away 15 months later, their planning was rock solid. From a financial perspective, everything was taken care of.

My parents are planners. In my practice as an estate planning lawyer, I've learned that it is highly unusual for someone to receive a terminal cancer diagnosis and think first of their estate planning attorney. In fact, many people feel like they are "giving up" if they take care of their estate planning in the face of a terminal illness.

I'm so grateful that my parents were able to face these tough issues and take action in the face of such a terrible diagnosis because I've seen what can happen when people leave these decisions to their surviving family members.

Why? Because my Mom and Dad's decisions have given me and my siblings the tools we need to make sure our family stays together in the long run. You see, my Dad has three children from his first marriage, two children from his second marriage (I'm one of them), and a third wife with a long time family business.

As you can see, there's a lot of room for problems to arise if my Mom and Dad hadn't set forth some clear instructions about EXACTLY what they wanted to happen when each of them passed away.

They've already answered all those questions.

Who's in charge? We know.

Where does everything go? We know.

Who lives in which house for how long? We know.

What to expect regarding an inheritance? We already know.

Which lawyer to work with? We know.

Should my Dad's third wife expect support from him if he passes away first (or vice versa)? We all know what will happen.

Are the three children from my Dad's first marriage entitled to anything my mother received from her parents? There are clear instructions on this issue.

You see, when my Dad passes away (he's doing great right now!), I want everything to be perfectly clear so that our family stays close together and isn't torn apart through misunderstandings, confusion, or resentment. I want my Dad and his new wife to enjoy their lives together without the rest of the family (on both sides) worrying about what will happen to his stuff or her stuff.

So, this Mother's Day, here's a thank you to my Mom and Dad for taking such good care of their family!

© 2009 The Estate Planning Law Group

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include everything in quotes with it:

"© 2009 The Estate Planning Law Group. Written and edited by Kirsten Izatt and Bill Deitch. Bill and Kirsten's mission is to make the world a better place by providing a lifetime of ongoing guidance and counsel to people who want to make the very best decisions about how to plan for and protect their families through estate planning. Get their revealing, enlightening, and sometimes humorous "Family Wealth Builder" e-zine at www.FamilyWealthBuilderNewsletter.com."