SUPPLEMENTAL NEEDS PLANNING

Supplemental Needs Planning Lawyer in Orlando

When you provide care for a loved one with special needs, you have added concerns for the future. Your estate plan should include provisions that allow for their needs to be met without compromising their eligibility for important benefit programs.

At Sawyer & Sawyer, P.A., we can craft a special needs trust tailored to meet your family’s unique needs. A trust will allow your loved one to receive the full benefits to which they are entitled supplemented by additional resources so they can enjoy an enhanced quality of life.

You Have Options When It Comes to Special Needs Trusts

Supplemental needs or special needs trusts can be set up in a variety of ways. We can review the options and help you decide whether it works best to develop a standalone trust funded with separate assets, set up a testamentary trust through your will, or create a sub-trust within an existing living trust.

The Benefits of a Special Needs Trust

Government benefit programs such as Florida Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income provide for bare necessities and no more. A special needs trust allows your loved ones to gain the benefits and protections afforded by significant assets without having those assets counted against them for eligibility rules.

Funds in a special needs trust can provide for life-enhancing opportunities such as:

  • Supplemental education
  • Transportation (including purchase and maintenance of a vehicle)
  • Vacations and local entertainment
  • Medical check-ups at an independent facility
  • Participating in religious worship and fellowship
  • Personal items such as computers, electronics, or furniture
  • Expenses associated with a hobby or sport
  • Dietary supplementation
  • Medical or personal supplies

The government has some specific rules about special needs trusts, but we will work with you to find a way to provide for the benefits your loved ones deserve.

Discuss the Possibilities with a Supplemental Needs Planning Attorney

Protection of your loved ones’ interests is a key concern for you. When you work with the dedicated legal team at Sawyer & Sawyer, these become our concerns as well. We focus on people before the paperwork.

We invite you to contact us at your convenience to find out how we could assist in creating or amending trust provisions to protect a loved one with special needs.