Another initiative is our Free Informational presentation series titled “Tackle the Topic” which we launched last month. Our first speaker was Rick O’Connor on the topic of “Guardianship and alternatives to Guardianship”

Rick O’Connor obtained a Bachelors of Business Administration degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1976, and a law degree (Doctor of Jurisprudence) from the University of Houston in 1978.  He was licensed by the State Bar of Texas in 1979 and has practiced in Dallas since that time.  He practices extensively in the areas of probate and estate planning law, particularly guardianship and special needs planning (wills, trusts and related planning documents for parents of special needs children).  Rick’s brother Tim has severe autism and schizophrenia and is under guardianship.  Rick has served on the boards and committees of various entities and organizations whose goals are the protection and advancement of the rights and protection of persons with mental disabilities, including the Intellectual Disabilities Public Advisory Committee of the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, the Volunteer Council for the Denton State Supported Living Center and Planned Living Assistance Network of North Texas, Inc.

Rick has handled several thousand guardianship cases in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and has assisted several thousand client families with special needs planning. He is a frequent speaker for educational, parent and care-giver groups on these topics.   He has served as a guardian of the person and estate and as a trustee of special needs trusts, and has been court-appointed and has served as attorney ad litem for proposed guardians in hundreds of guardianship cases. 

We will have these free presentations quarterly on a variety of topics that are critical for our families to learn.