New York City Office655 Third Avenue, 20th Floor
New York, New York 10017
(212) 490-2020 Phone
(212) 490-2990 Fax
Westchester Office399 Knollwood Road
White Plains, New York 10603
(914) 684-2100 Phone
(914) 684-9865 Fax
Dutchess Office300 Westage Business Center
Drive, Suite 400
Fishkill, NY 12524
(845) 896-1106 Phone
(845) 896-1107 Fax
When considering how much money you will need to fund a special needs trust, you may wish to consider items that will offer your child a better quality of life. Government benefits are designed to provide basic food and shelter, but they will not offer your child any of the extras he is used to. [...]
Continue reading...A child with special needs deserves a parent’s continued stewardship and guidance, even if the parent becomes incapacitated or passes away, and the following estate planning documents are key to ensuring the child’s security. (1) A last will and testament. (2) A general durable power of attorney (“GDPA”). This document designates an agent to act [...]
Continue reading...When a couple is divorcing, it is important that they do not forget their commitments to their child with special needs. Most importantly, any child support for the child with special needs should be allocated under the separation agreement to a Special Needs Trust. This will ensure that these assets will not affect the child’s [...]
Continue reading...Establishing legal guardianship for a person with special needs can be a costly procedure, and these financial expenses can put a significant strain on many families. Caring for their loved ones is already an emotionally taxing process, and families do not need to feel financial pressure on top of this. In order to help families [...]
Continue reading...All parents want to minimize the opportunity for conflict among their children once they have passed away. Sometimes, however, conflict arises when parents have gifted money to one of their children and not to the others. Such conflict may be avoided by including provisions in your estate plan for gifts and loans previously made to [...]
Continue reading...A pooled trust helps families and caregivers establish trust accounts that provide supplemental funds for their loved ones with disabilities without jeopardizing their eligibility for Social Security Income and Medicaid. An individual or his parents/guardians establish a sub-account with the pooled trust program. The program then pools all of the funds and invests them in [...]
Continue reading...It is important for all parents to plan for their child’s protection and care in the future and having an estate plan will ensure this kind of protection. Estate planning when an adopted child is involved is often a complicated process, as it involves a number of factors that are not necessary when planning for [...]
Continue reading...Establishing a Special Needs Trust for a loved one with disabilities can ensure that he or she will be taken care of in the future. However, it is important for families to choose the right type of trust. There are two major types of Special Needs Trusts: testamentary and intervivos. The major difference in these [...]
Continue reading...Once you have decided to establish a Living Special Needs Trust, you must also decide whether or not this trust will be revocable or irrevocable. There are benefits and drawbacks of each type of trust, and you must carefully consider your family’s circumstances before making a decision. With a Revocable Trust, you retain the right [...]
Continue reading...Being the trustee of a Special Needs Trust is a job that comes with great responsibilities. Many family members consider naming a relative as trustee of their child’s Special Needs Trust. However, some families choose to go with a professional special needs trustee, as they have extensive experience in handling all issues associated with a [...]
Continue reading...
