Colleen E. Masse
Partner, Czepiga Daly Pope & Perri
Balancing everyday responsibilities and expectations can be challenging when you are caring for a loved one living with a disability. Add estate or special needs planning for the future into the mix, and it may feel utterly overwhelming. Attorney Colleen Masse understands what you are feeling and can guide you through your planning process in a straightforward and compassionate manner.
As Chair of our Special Needs Planning department and the Fiduciary Services department, Colleen can help you with a wide array of planning needs. She can partner with you on creating your comprehensive estate plan or laying out long-term care planning techniques that will protect your assets.
She can also show you how to use a Special Needs Trust to maintain and improve your quality of life, and to protect your money so you can afford the care you need for the long run. Colleen knows public benefits inside and out and can guide you through the eligibility process in a way that won’t jeopardize your eligibility for government benefits.
Before joining Czepiga Daly Pope & Perri, Colleen was with PLAN of CT where she worked with families and their attorneys to determine the appropriate trust type for the families’ given situation. She also worked with the Connecticut State Department of Education where she represented students in the care of the Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF). In this role, she advocated for children with special education needs - filing complaints, performing record reviews, and communicating with various agencies and providers.
In her spare time, Colleen enjoys the outdoors and often hikes and camps. She’s an avid reader and runner. In fact, she has completed multiple marathons, including the Boston Marathon!
- University of Connecticut School of Law
- J.D. (1995)
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- Bates College
- B.A. (1992)
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- Partner
- Czepiga Daly Pope & Perri LLC
- - Current
- Associate Attorney
- Czepiga Daly Pope & Perri LLC
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- Trust Coordinator
- PLAN of Connecticut
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- Surrogate Parent
- CT State Department of Education: Special Educational Law and Advocacy
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- Attorney
- Law Office of Gerry McMahon, LLC
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- Pro Bono Attorney
- Lawyers for Children America
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- Should You Choose Family or a Professional Trustee? Know the Pros and Cons
- Czepiga Daly Pope & Perri Smart Planner Blog
- Special Needs Planning During the COVID Era
- Czepiga Daly Pope & Perri Smart Planner Blog
- Stop Cleaning Your Closet! Do These 5 Steps First
- Czepiga Daly Pope & Perri Smart Planner Blog
- Special Needs Planning: Choose a Trustee with a Network
- Czepiga Daly Pope & Perri Smart Planner Blog
- 5 Things to Think About When Your Child With Special Needs Turns 18
- Czepiga Daly Pope & Perri Smart Planner Blog
- Special Needs Trusts & Guardianships, Oxford Public Schools Webinar, Webinar
- Oxford Public Schools
- Special Needs Planning, SEPTO Webinar, Webinar
- South Windsor Public Schools
- Uniform Trust Code, West Hartford Public Library, Webinar
- West Hartford Public Library
- Supported Decision Making & Pooled Trusts, CT Community Care Session 1 & 2, Webinar
- CT Community Care
- Pooled Trusts, CT Community Care presentation, Bristol, CT
- CCCI
- North Central Area Agency on Aging (NCAAA)
- President
- - Current
- Activities: Previously served as a Member of the Board and First Vice President.
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- CT National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA)
- Member
- - Current
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- Connecticut Bar Association
- Member
- - Current
- Activities: Elder Law Section
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- Community Health Resources (CHR)
- Board Member
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- SPEdConnecticut
- Vice President/Parent Advisor
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- Dyslexia Society of CT
- Former Secretary
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- Activities: Conference Co-Chir
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- Connecticut
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- Estate Planning
- Guardianship & Conservatorship Estate Administration, Health Care Directives, Trusts, Wills
- Elder Law
- Probate
- Probate Administration, Probate Litigation, Will Contests
- Special Needs Planning
- Medicaid & Public Benefits
- Disability Planning
- English: Spoken, Written