Ten Steps in Planning for My Special Needs Child
by Thomas D. Begley, Jr., Esquire, CELA Retain a Competent Special Needs Trust Attorney. The first step in planning for a special needs child is to retain a Special Needs Trust Attorney who is experienced in assisting families with special needs children. Many Estate and Trust Attorneys draft Special Needs Trusts, but do not have…
“I Want to Protect My Home”
By Marianne Johnston, Esq. Those are the first words out of the mouths of many of our clients when we discuss long-term care planning. The value of the primary residence is often a substantial portion of a person or couple’s worth. Parents wish to preserve the value of that asset for their children. There are…
SUPPORTED DECISION-MAKING AGREEMENTS
by Thomas D. Begley, Jr., CELA The Brittany Spears case focused the attention of the nation on limitations of the Guardianship system in the United States. While Guardianships serve a worthwhile purpose, they are often unnecessarily restrictive. The goal of a Guardianship is to embrace the least restrictive alternative to allow individuals to maintain…
WHEN IS A SPECIAL NEEDS TRUST REQUIRED IN A MATRIMONIAL ACTION?
by Thomas D. Begley, Jr., Esquire, CELA Studies show that having a child with a disability dramatically increases the likelihood that the parents will divorce. The divorce rate for this cohort is as high as 86%. When either a spouse or a child is disabled and is receiving public benefits, a Special Needs Trust…