Barbara Jackins has spent most of her 46-year legal career advocating for people with special needs and their families. Barbara’s areas of practice currently include guardianship, special needs planning, and public benefits. Barbara is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and serves on several committees of local non-profit agencies that support people with disabilities and their families. She has written several book on disability-related topics, most recently: Managing a Special Needs Trust: A Guide for Trustees (co-author, 2025); Legal Planning for Special Needs in Massachusetts: A Family Guide to SSI, Guardianship, and Estate Planning (2019, new edition coming in 2026); and Moving Out: A Family Guide to Residential Planning for Adults with Disabilities (co-author with Dafna Krouk-Gordon, 2025). Her office is located in Lexington, MA. Her website is www.legalplanningforspecialneeds.com. Barbara is the parent of an adult son with special needs.