Services Special Needs Planning

Special Needs Planning

Do you love someone in your life with special needs or who is living with a disability? 

Maybe it is a child, grandchild, sibling, or even spouse. When you do have a special needs family member, you know how important it is for your estate plan to be correct. Not only in terms of distributing assets and minimizing taxes, but it must be perfect in many other ways. 

We help you craft a perfect plan and safety net so that your other children, family, or friends are supported as your successor caregivers or trustees.  Your third-party supplemental needs trust and other documents must contain specially drafted provisions that will be flexible for decades, even after you have passed away. 

As hard as it is to get started it is important – and you don’t have to face it alone!  

What is Special Needs Planning?

At Anderson Elder Law, our job is to help you feel confident that your special needs family member is safe – now and in the long term. Some of the questions we hear from our clients the first time they talk to our special needs attorneys are:

• Should I disinherit my disabled child, so I do not interfere with his or her public benefits?
• If I leave all my assets to my other children will my special needs child be protected?
• What is the difference between SSI and SSDI, and what are the eligibility criteria?
• How do I get started applying for SSI for my child?
• What public benefits are available for disabled children and adults?
• How will an inheritance, a gift, or a lawsuit settlement affect eligibility for public benefits?
• What kinds of special needs trusts are available?
• How can special needs planning prevent overpaying taxes?
• What are the responsibilities of the trustee of a special needs trust?
• What is a pooled trust?
• How do we pick trustees to help administer these complex trusts?

Does any of this sound familiar? If so, you are in the right place.  

How to Get Started with Special Needs Planning

What are your goals for your child or loved one with special needs? Special needs planning involves a lot of parts including special needs trusts, supplemental needs trusts, taxation considerations, and more. Before the technical details of a comprehensive special-needs plan can be developed:

• What do you want their future to look like? 
• Where will they live? 
• What will they spend their days doing? 
• What level of care will they need on a day-to-day basis? 
• How will their needs change over time? 
• Who will be involved in decision-making? 

Starting with a vision of what you want is the best thing to bring to the table with you. We will give you an intake list of important documents you need next. We will review everything and put our whole team of experts on the job of making this vision a reality for your family. We will consider not only your assets but also your social security disability income, available benefits, and health care. No stone will be left unturned! 

Additional Resources for Your Special Needs Child

One thing that makes us different from other firms is that we have a social worker on staff who is a part of your special needs planning right from the beginning. Depending on your needs, we can recommend additional resources and support. This attention to detail and individualized approach is what our clients value most. We work with a wide range of needs including: 

• Down syndrome
• Autism
• Multiple sclerosis
• Developmental disability
• Chromosomal abnormalities
• Cerebral palsy
• Muscular dystrophy
• Any other special needs requiring long term care

We will help you find the resources to give your loved ones the best quality of life possible.

Special Needs Alliance

Linda Anderson is one of four attorneys in the state of Pennsylvania who are members of the Special Needs Alliance, and the only such attorney in Eastern Pennsylvania. The Special Needs Alliance recognizes attorneys with the most credentials in aiding families with public benefits and disability law for special needs individuals. As well as having extensive legal experience in the field, Linda is very familiar with the non-legal resources, networks, and aid available to individuals with disabilities and their families.

You can find more information and resources on the Special Needs Alliance website. If you are ready to start the special needs planning process, schedule an introductory call today!