Special Needs Planning

Compassionate Planning for Special Needs Families.

Having a brother with developmental disabilities, Brad Collick knows firsthand about the challenges of daily care needs, government benefits, and medical care faced by families with special needs children. These issues set this practice area apart from traditional estate-planning, and require knowledge that not all estate-planning attorneys have, including…

Maintaining eligibility for government benefits
Monitoring the care of a special needs person
Selecting a caring and involved trustee
Making the right distributions from a special needs trust

We can design an estate plan uniquely suited for your child with developmental disabilities. With our comprehensive approach, you’ll know that you’ve done everything you can to ensure a good quality of life for your special needs loved one.

Special Needs Planning. Mother and Child

A Different Approach

Our comprehensive planning approach and diligent follow through sets us apart from other law firms:

Holistic Approach.

It’s not just about giving an inheritance to your loved one with disabilities. We go much further by incorporating the likes, dislikes, daily care needs, medical conditions and life goals of your loved with disabilities one into your estate plan.

Trustee Training.

Meticulous record-keeping and proper trust distributions are essential responsibilities for the trustee of a special needs trust. We offer trustee training to ensure the job is done right.

Free Reviews.

Every three years, we will review your estate plan together to make sure your plan stays current with changes in the needs of your loved one with special needs, the rest of your family, your assets and the law.

Flat Fees.

Everything we do with special needs planning is billed on a flat-fee basis, agreed to in advance, so there are never any surprise legal fees.

Get Started on the Next Step

If you’re ready to create an estate plan devoted to the unique needs of your loved one with disabilities, let’s get started. We look forward to caring for your special family soon!

GET STARTED

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of a special needs trust?

A special needs trust (SNT for short) is created to hold assets in trust for the benefit of a person with special needs, without disqualifying that person from receiving government benefits such as Medicaid and SSI. The assets held in an SNT can be used to supplement the basic care needs provided by government benefits.

Who can establish a special needs trust?

An SNT is typically created by the parents of a child with disabilities. But anyone can create and fund an SNT for a person with disabilities, including grandparents and other concerned family members.

When should a special needs trust be established?

Generally, SNT’s should be established before the 65th birthday of the individual with disabilities. If you have a beneficiary with disabilities, you may want to establish an SNT early. Unexpected money from inheritances, lawsuit settlements or life insurance proceeds can be immediately placed into the SNT without affecting eligibility for government benefits.