Illinois Estate Planning and Elder Law Blog
When it comes to estate planning, families with special needs children need to take extra care to prepare for when you will no longer be around to care for your child. As part of an estate plan designed to help enhance and enrich your child’s life both in the present and into the future, you may want to consider a Special Needs Trust.
A Special Needs Trust allows individuals with disabilities to receive funds needed to supplement their benefits, have a greater quality of life, and cover unexpected expenses without losing their benefits. This can be created for someone with physical and mental disabilities and/or with mental illness. There are three different types of Special Needs Trusts that can be created, and they differ in who creates the trust, who is trustee, and what happens to the remaining assets in the trust after the death of the beneficiary.
Unfortunately, people often lose their SSI, Medicaid, or other benefits after inheriting life insurance, real estate, or other assets. Special needs planning works to prevent this from happening and to preserve these benefits. It also can be used to provide lifetime money management for benefit of the disabled child, protect eligibility for public benefits, and ensure a pool of funds if public funding ever ceases or is restricted.
Especially when estate planning for a child with special needs, it is important to be sure your wishes are made known and documents are in place to ensure your child is cared for throughout their lifetime.
For assistance with your estate plan, contact us at Wilson and Wilson Estate Planning and Elder Law, LLC at 708 482 7090 for our main office in LaGrange, Illinois or at 847 656 8958 for our Northbrook, Illinois office.