Estate Planning

A special needs trust is set up for a person with special needs to supplement any benefits the person with special needs may receive from government programs. A properly drafted special needs trust will allow the beneficiary to receive government...

Special Needs 101

Because beneficiaries of programs like Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medicaid must be quite poor to qualify, they can lose their benefits when they come into an inheritance, receive money in their own names from an accident settlement, or merely...

Special Needs 101

A Special Needs Trust (SNT) can play an important role in preserving the financial security and lifestyle of a person with special needs. A properly drafted SNT allows the individual to benefit from supplemental resources while still qualifying for public...

Special Needs 101

Guardianship can provide parents of children with special needs a way to protect their child's financial and medical well-being even after they have turned 18.

Special Needs 101

Credit cards offer a way for the trustee of a special needs trust to avoid giving a beneficiary cash while at the same time not serving as the beneficiary's designated shopper.

Special Needs 101

For an individual who can make some decisions on his or her own, a full guardianship may not be appropriate.

Special Needs 101

If a person with special needs receives a large personal injury award, paying for health insurance could become an unaffordable expense unless precautions are taken. A special needs trust could be the answer.

Special Needs 101

Some special needs trusts may be eligible for considerable tax savings. Here's how.

Special Needs 101

Trusts are important vehicles in special needs planning. What happens, though, when the primary beneficiary of a special needs trust dies and there are assets left in the trust? How are taxes calculated and paid?...