Special Needs Trusts & Disability Planning

We can inform you of your estate planning options, including which special needs trust (also known as supplemental needs trust) is best suited for your family. The goal is to assure that your disabled family member retains or can become eligible for public benefits, such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medical Assistance (Medicaid). As part of any plan, we can determine whether a payback provision is necessary, advise you in selecting a Trustee, and counsel you about what the trust funds be used for. We can draft the trust and instruct you on how to transfer funds into the trust. We obtain any required approvals of the trust by Medicaid and/or SSI.

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Ron Landsman has written a chapter on special needs trusts published by the American Bar Association. It provides a useful overview of special needs trusts, why they are needed, their requirements, how they are taxed, and how they are used. Click here to read it.

Can we help you with your Special Needs Trust or with Disability Planning? Contact us to discuss your situation.

Upcoming Special Needs Trust Seminar

In an effort to help you, our firm regularly offers a free seminar on Special Needs Trusts. RSVP below to join accomplished attorney May-Lis Manley for a free discussion about when special needs trusts are appropriate and how to maximize the benefit of their use.

How Else Can We Help?

Our firm is highly specialized in both Elder Law and Disability Law. This means that our accomplished attorneys can assist you in everything from Estate Planning to Medicaid eligibility to Special Needs Trusts.

Probate, Estate, and Trust Administration

Probate is the legal process by which property that was owned by an individual at death is distributed to the beneficiaries named in the individual’s will or to those persons designated by law if there is no will.

Guardianship & Conservatorship

We can represent you in a court petition for guardianship which may include temporary, limited, or full guardianship of the person and/or guardianship of the property. We can also represent you as a participant in guardianship proceedings brought by someone else.

Estate Planning

We can assist you with identifying your estate planning goals and the most effective way to accomplish them. We will analyze your financial and health care circumstances to develop a plan to meet your needs and wishes.

Medicaid

We handle all aspects of Medicaid long term care. We can assist you in planning for eligibility, arranging your assets to qualify at the earliest possible time, while setting aside as much as possible for yourself, spouse, or children or grandchildren.