Special Needs Lawyers in Houston, TX: We Are Dedicated to Helping Families Look After Their Loved Ones Today and Tomorrow

If you have a loved one with special needs, then you are probably already well aware of the unique hardships they face in their day-to-day lives. Parents of special needs children may give their children all the love and care in the world, but it is important to understand that someday the parents and other family members may not be there to look out for those who cannot adequately look after themselves.

Many elements of estate planning deal with concerns about how to look after assets and ensure that they are distributed to the proper heirs and beneficiaries. However, if the beneficiary is disabled or has other special needs, then unique considerations must be made for how to plan for their future.

The law has numerous legal tools which can be utilized to look after loved ones with special needs. Law professionals knowledgeable in these matters can be among your greatest allies in looking out for the benefits of those with special needs.

The Shield Law Firm’s Houston special needs planning attorneys can provide assistance to you in establishing beneficial strategies which can see to it that your family members with special needs will never worry about lack of food, provisions, education, and housing.

What Services Do Our Texas Lawyers Provide?

While it is good to know that there are government benefits in place to ensure your loved one is treated just as they should be throughout their lives within school districts, places of employment, and more, it can seem overwhelming to stay on top of the changes and make sure that you are protecting the rights of your loved one to the height of your abilities. But it doesn’t have to be. Enlist the help of an experienced team of attorneys that have multiple years of working on cases just like yours.

Our lawyers can assist families in the legal matters of loved ones with special needs, including:

• The creation of a special needs trust or a supplemental needs trust.
• Legal guardianship.
• Special education evaluations.
• Applying for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) from Social Security.
• Applying for Medicaid benefits in Texas.
• Opening an ABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience) account.

Whether your loved one with special needs is a child or an adult, there are multiple steps that you can take to protect and preserve their rights. But there are also numerous considerations which must be taken in order to determine eligibility, which are based on their current age, the age in which they were diagnosed with a disability, where they live, and their money or assets.

You don’t need to have all the answers, though; let the experienced special needs lawyers of our Texas-based firm provide knowledgeable guidance to you in this process.

Can an Attorney Help My Family Organize Legal Guardianship?

There may come a moment in the lifetime of your special needs children when you aren’t able to be there to help with their immediate needs, such as time away for military active duty, or to navigate your own health concerns, your eventual death, or other reasons.

You can select a trusted individual to ensure that your disabled children are taken care of when you cannot be there for them yourself. By establishing rules of legal guardianship, the qualified person of your choosing will serve as the guardian of the child until if and when you are able to return.

What Special Education Law Programs May Apply to My Child?

The No Child Left Behind Act and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) are in place to protect the rights of those with special needs throughout their time in the school system. These special education law programs and plans ensure the education of a child with disabilities is of utmost importance, and that no segregation due to their disability is involved.

Families with a special needs child can explore placement into an Individualized Education Program (IEP) and request an evaluation for Section 504, which can ensure that they receive the rights, services, and equal opportunities they deserve in their education setting.

It can be difficult to send our kids off to school, especially when we know that they have special needs, but you can rest easier with these programs in place knowing that school districts are an extension of your advocacy for their education and well-being. Contact an attorney at our Houston law offices for assistance.

Do I Need a Special Needs Trust or Are Government Benefits Enough to Supplement My Loved One’s Livelihood?

The medical needs and general cost-of-living expenses for those with disabilities and special needs can be expensive and are not always covered by insurance. Couple this with the disabled individual’s reasonable inability to support themselves through full-time employment and it can create what seems like an unjust and costly scenario in this unforgiving system of ours.

While drafting a will is recommended, the inheritance you leave to your heirs cannot be touched until you are dead and gone. Well-funded special needs trusts, on the other hand, can have language in them which ensures that the beneficiary receives trust funds and support today and into the future.

A Houston special needs trust attorney at our firm can help you create and administer special needs trusts. Contact the special needs trust lawyers of Shield Law to discuss the benefit of forming a trust today.

Schedule a Consultation with Our Houston Special Needs Planning Attorneys Today

The lawyers of the Shields Law Firm have years of experience dedicated to representing clients with concerns relating to special needs. To learn what government programs your loved ones may be eligible for, or what other strategies you may be able to implement, please contact our Houston, Texas special needs trust attorneys to schedule a consultation today. Contact us at: (832) 463-5855.