About Bret Hortin, ChSNC®, CDFA®

National Expert in Special Needs Planning During Divorce

Attorneys and CDFA® professionals handling divorce cases face risks that most practitioners never encounter. For more than 38 years, I’ve helped legal and financial teams protect SSI, Medicaid, and long-term eligibility while supporting families through some of the most complex decisions they will ever make. For the past 19 years, I’ve specialized exclusively in special needs planning, earning the ChSNC® (Chartered Special Needs Consultant) designation as part of that journey. In the last year, I refined that specialty even further by focusing on special needs planning specifically within the context of divorce, supported by my CDFA® designation. My mission is simple and unwavering: to protect the future of individuals with disabilities by helping families — and the professionals who support them — make informed, compliant, and compassionate decisions during divorce.
Bret Hortin seated in a formal portrait, hands clasped in lap, smiling in a dark suit and striped tie, with a white brick wall backdrop.

Why I Do This Work

Early in my career, I saw how one well‑intentioned financial decision could unintentionally jeopardize essential benefits or long‑term care. I saw attorneys and mediators struggling with systems that were never designed to intersect with divorce law. And I saw parents carrying the emotional weight of decisions that would affect their child’s entire life. As a father of children with disabilities, I’ve lived many of the same fears and decisions my clients face. That experience deepens my empathy and shapes the way I guide families through complex planning. The reminder of what families go through stays with me every day—it’s why this work matters and why families deserve clarity, protection, and support.

“I wish we had someone like this when we were going through our own challenges.” — My wife.”

That reminder stays with me. It’s why I’ve dedicated my work to helping families protect what matters most — benefits, stability, and long‑term care. I couldn’t ignore what I was seeing, professionally or personally. So I built my practice around solving it.

What I Do

I help families navigate the financial, legal, and benefits challenges that come with raising a child with disabilities — especially during divorce. With more than 38 years as a financial advisor and nearly two decades as a Special Needs Planner, I guide parents through decisions that protect benefits, secure long‑term care, and create stability for the future.

My work focuses on protecting SSI and Medicaid eligibility, structuring child support correctly, coordinating with attorneys, and building long‑term financial plans that won’t jeopardize essential services. I help parents understand what’s at risk, what’s required, and what’s possible — so they can make decisions with clarity instead of fear.

I help families with:

  • Protecting SSI and Medicaid during and after divorce
  • Structuring child support and alimony correctly
  • Coordinating with attorneys and court professionals
  • Planning for long‑term care and lifetime support
  • Building financial plans that preserve essential benefit

Every family deserves a plan that protects their child’s future. That’s the work I do every day.

My Approach

Every family I work with is facing something complex, emotional, and deeply personal. My approach is grounded in clarity, compassion, and a commitment to protecting your child’s long‑term stability. I meet families where they are, help them understand what’s at stake, and guide them through decisions that feel overwhelming on their own.

I start by listening — to your concerns, your goals, and the realities of your child’s needs. From there, I help you understand how benefits work, what the law requires, and how financial decisions during divorce can affect your child’s future. Together, we build a plan that protects eligibility, avoids costly mistakes, and gives you a clear path forward.

When we work together, you can expect:

•   Clear explanations without jargon
•   A focus on protecting benefits and long‑term care
•   Collaboration with attorneys and court professionals
•   Guidance that reduces stress and uncertainty
•   A plan built around your child’s lifetime needs



My goal is simple: to give you clarity, confidence, and a plan that protects your child’s future.

Why This Work Matters to Me

My work is shaped by my own experience as a parent of children with disabilities. My wife and I spent years navigating systems that felt overwhelming, confusing, and often unforgiving. We made mistakes we didn’t know we were making, and we carried the weight of decisions that could affect our children for the rest of their lives.

Those years changed me. They taught me how isolating this journey can feel, and how powerful it is when someone finally steps in with clarity, compassion, and a plan. I became a special needs planner because I wanted to be the person we needed back then — someone who understands the emotional weight, the legal and financial complexity, and the lifelong impact of every decision.

This work is personal to me. It always has been. And it’s why I’m committed to helping families protect their children’s futures with confidence and peace of mind.

What I Bring to This Work

With more than 38 years as a financial advisor, 19 years as a Special Needs Planner (ChSNC®), and specialized training as a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® (CDFA®), I bring a combination of lived experience and professional expertise that helps families make decisions with clarity and confidence. My work is grounded in a deep understanding of how benefits, legal requirements, and financial choices intersect during divorce—and how those decisions shape a child’s long‑term stability.

If you’re navigating a divorce while caring for a child with disabilities, you don’t have to figure this out alone. I’m here to help you understand your options, avoid costly mistakes, and build a plan that protects your child’s future with confidence and peace of mind.

A Final Word

Families navigating a special needs divorce deserve clarity, stability, and long‑term protection. My role is to support the professionals who guide them — attorneys and CDFA® professionals who want to ensure every decision safeguards SSI, Medicaid, and future eligibility.

I approach this work with calm structure, deep expertise, and a commitment to advocacy that has shaped my entire career. Together, we can protect what matters most.

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