Estate Planning |<\/a>\u00a0A critical aspect of estate planning for those with children who have physical or mental disabilities is the creation of<\/p>\n a trust to fund essential care and services throughout the lifetime of the disabled beneficiary. When developing a<\/p>\n special needs trust, it is important to ensure the plan does not negatively impact eligibility for government aid<\/p>\n programs. Special needs trusts are targeted to meet the specific requirements of the beneficiary. This encompasses<\/p>\n a broad array of benefits, including educational endeavors, counseling, custom equipment, transportation,\u00a0vacations and other comforts.<\/p>\n The Special Needs Trust<\/strong><\/p>\n When structured properly, a special needs trust allows families to provide for disabled dependents without affecting<\/p>\n their government benefit eligibility. In many cases, programs such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI),<\/p>\n Medicaid and public housing benefits are based in part on total assets. A special needs trust will keep the assets<\/p>\n available for use without being included in the government\u2019s eligibility analysis. This type of trust will provide the<\/p>\n family with a feeling of security in knowing the disabled child or relative will always enjoy a good quality of life.<\/p>\n Like all estate planning, it is important to choose the trust that is most appropriate for your family\u2019s specific<\/p>\n situation. This includes understanding the entire array of different options. Although it may seem complex and<\/p>\n confusing, our attorneys will explain every plan feature and offer useful advice and recommendations.<\/p>\n \u2022 Sole Benefit Trusts<\/p>\n \u2022 Pay-Back Trusts or (d)(4)(A) Trusts<\/p>\n \u2022 Third Party Trusts<\/p>\n \u2022 Self-Settled Supplemental Needs Trusts<\/p>\n \u2022 (d)(4)(C) Trusts<\/p>\n Complete Trust Development, Administration and Support<\/strong><\/p>\n The attorneys at Mortellaro & Sinadinos recognize the importance of drafting a special needs trust that will serve<\/p>\n your family for many years to come. Our ongoing commitment is to work with trustees and family members to<\/p>\n provide advice on complex issues related to tax filings, distributions and unique accounting requirements related to<\/p>\n government benefit programs.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n