Monthly Member Meeting | Special Needs and Divorce: What Divorce Professionals Need to Know

Divorce can create additional emotional, financial, and logistical challenges for families raising a child with disabilities or special needs. Changes in routines, communication, caregiving responsibilities, and long-term planning needs may add complexity during and after the divorce process. Divorce professionals can benefit their clients and their practice by gaining familiarity with the unique considerations these families face.

In this presentation, Certified Special Needs Divorce Coach Mary Ann Hughes shares professional insights and lived experience supporting families navigating special family transitions.  Participants will gain greater awareness of the impact divorce can have on special needs families, along with practical considerations related to parenting arrangements, financial and future planning, government benefits, and supportive resources. The presentation will also highlight the value of flexibility, individualized approaches, and collaborative support in helping families navigate these transitions more successfully.

Key Takeaways:

• Recognize the impact of divorce on families with a child with disabilities or special needs
• Gain awareness of legal, financial, and planning considerations that are important to special needs families
• Appreciate the need for flexibility and individualized approaches in parenting plans and co-parenting arrangements
• Identify professionals and resources that may help support families navigating divorce and special needs
• Gain practical strategies to better support families before, during, and after divorce

Speaker Bio:   

Mary Ann Hughes, MBA, mother of sons on the autism spectrum and founder of Special Family Transitions LLC and co-founder of Divorce With Special Needs Children, is committed to helping families through the overwhelm and complexities of divorce involving children with disabilities.  

Mary Ann is a Certified Special Needs Divorce Coach, Co-Parenting Specialist, CDC Certified Divorce Coach and Transition & Recovery Coach, Pre-Mediation Divorce Coach, Mosten-Guthrie Disability-Informed Professional, Mediator and Parenting Coordinator. Mary Ann enjoys learning from and supporting other professionals as Co-Director of the Special Needs Chapter of the National Association of Divorce Professionals, Board Member of Association for Conflict Resolution-Houston, and member of Texas Association of Mediators. In addition to coaching and supporting parents of children with complex needs across the United States, Mary Ann shares her insights on podcasts, virtual and live events, books, magazines, and as an instructor for Divorce Coaching and Mediation training programs.

Mary Ann gave her first TEDx Talk on January 10, 2026, sharing how her journey as a special needs mom overcoming divorce challenges led to her mission of inspiring and supporting others as a special needs divorce coach. 

Mary Ann can be reached via her website https://www.specialfamilytransitions.com/ or via email at [email protected]

**Guests are welcome to attend one Monthly Member Meeting. To attend again, we invite you to join our association**