SPECIAL NEEDS PLANNING – PART 1
by Thomas D. Begley, Jr., Esquire, CELA [Here are links to Part 2 and Part3] Special Needs Planning for loved ones with disabilities is extremely important. As long as parents are alive, they will care for their children with disabilities. The problem begins when the parents are gone. Many children with disabilities will be unable…
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…
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…
POD & TOD ACCOUNTS: A BLESSING OR A CURSE?
by Thomas D. Begley, Jr., Esquire, CELA What are POD and TOD Accounts? A POD accounts stands for “payable on death” and is usually used with bank accounts such as checking, savings or Certificates of Deposit. TOD are “transfer on death” accounts and are usually used with brokerage accounts, stocks, bonds and other investments….