Special Needs Trusts

Planning for the care of a disabled child is a top concern for families with children who have special needs. Not only do parents worry about who will take care of their child at their deaths, they also worry about protecting their child's eligibility for public benefits such as SSI and Medicaid. For many families with special needs children, a special needs or supplemental needs trust is an excellent planning tool to address some of these concerns. A special needs trust can receive the disabled child's share of the parents' estate, ensuring that a child's medical and other benefits are preserved. This allows parents to leave assets for the child's benefit, which can be used to purchase items or provide services for the child's benefit that are not provided by public benefits and which would not otherwise be available. These might include medical treatment not covered by Medicaid, vacations, movie tickets and other items that will enrich the child's life.

Every family's situation is unique - if you have a child with special needs, you need a thorough review of your plan by an experienced estate planner. Contact an estate planning lawyer at Samuel, Sayward & Baler LLC, to see if a special needs trust will work for you.