When you become a parent, you truly begin to understand why estate planning is so important. If you are the parent of a child with special needs, you will undoubtedly feel a heightened sense of urgency when it comes to creating a comprehensive estate plan that will likely include a special needs trust. For those who are unfamiliar with these trusts, a Fargo special needs planning attorney at German Law Group explains the different types of special needs trusts. Special Needs Trust Basics Also … [Read more...]
Do I Need a Special Needs Planning Lawyer?
Are you the parent, grandparent, or caregiver for a child with special needs? If so, estate planning for you should take on a heightened importance for several reasons. Not only do you undoubtedly wish to protect and provide for your child with special needs now, but you may also need to create an estate plan that continues to provide support after your child reaches adulthood. If you are not careful, however, your well-intentioned gifts could jeopardize your child’s eligibility for much needed … [Read more...]
Special Needs Trusts
If you are the parent of a child with special needs you already know both the emotional joy and happiness, as well as the often difficult realities, of raising a child with special needs. One of your biggest worries likely revolves around the care and maintenance of your child when you are gone. During your lifetime, you have numerous opportunities and methods by which you can financially support your child, even after he/she reaches adulthood. Your ability to provide direct and ongoing … [Read more...]
Do I Need a Special Needs Planning Lawyer?
Are you the parent, grandparent, or caregiver for a child with special needs? If so, estate planning for you should take on a heightened importance for several reasons. Not only do you undoubtedly wish to protect and provide for your child with special needs now, but you may also need to create an estate plan that continue to provide support after your child reaches adulthood. If you are not careful, however, your well-intentioned gifts could jeopardize your child’s eligibility for much needed … [Read more...]
Can I Protect My Injury Settlement With a Special Needs Trust?
A special needs trust is a type of trust can be used to preserve government benefit eligibility. These trusts are alternately referred to as supplemental needs trusts. There are different types of special needs trusts. One of them is the first party or self settled special needs trust. With this type of trust, the funding would be coming from the beneficiary. Sometimes a disabled individual will receive a personal injury settlement, and the settlement could be used to fund a first party … [Read more...]
Can a Disabled Person Use a Trust to Preserve Government Benefits?
Health insurance is important for everyone, but clearly, it is absolutely essential for people with disabilities. Depending on the circumstances, care and treatment can cost millions of dollars over the course of a lifetime. Since a significant percentage of people with disabilities cannot work, they do not have health insurance through their jobs, and they have limited financial resources. As a result, they can qualify for Medicaid coverage. You are probably aware of the fact that Medicaid … [Read more...]
Special Needs Planning: Position Assets Wisely
You have to tread lightly in a fully informed manner if you are advising a loved one with special needs with regard to asset placement. Government benefit programs like Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income are only available to people who have very limited financial resources. The limit on countable assets is just $2000. Supplemental needs trusts are often used to preserve need-based government benefit eligibility The primary distinction between the different types of supplemental … [Read more...]
Disability Planning: Preserving Government Benefits
If you are the parent of a child with special needs, the need to create a comprehensive estate plan early on in your child’s life takes on a heightened importance. Like any parent, you undoubtedly want to be able to provide for your child financially, both now and in the future. In addition, you want to be sure that sufficient assets are left behind to help care for your child when you are no longer here. Leaving assets to a beneficiary with any type of disability, however, can be tricky. … [Read more...]
What Is a First Party Special Needs Trust?
People with special needs are often going to qualify for government benefits that are only available to people with limited financial resources. The Medicaid program is a source of health insurance for financially needy individuals, and though it is not exclusively designed for disabled people, many people with special needs do rely on the program for coverage. Another government benefit that enters the picture here is the Supplemental Security Income program. This program is for people with … [Read more...]
Medicaid, SSI, and Special Needs Trusts
You have a lot to take into consideration when you are facilitating postmortem asset transfers to your loved ones. Preparing your assets properly is part of the equation, and you have to decide on the extent of the inheritances that you will be leaving to each respective family member. On the other side of the transfer, when you are planning your estate, you should consider the personal situation of each person who will be receiving an inheritance. With this in mind, we will look at special … [Read more...]
