Are you concerned about protecting the financial future of a loved one with special needs? At Shields Law in Houston, we understand the challenges of special needs planning. Our experienced special needs planning lawyers are dedicated to providing compassionate and comprehensive legal guidance to families throughout the planning process.
We believe that every family deserves a plan that shields their loved ones from financial instability and ensures their long-term care. From trusts to guardianships, we offer customized solutions tailored to each family’s unique needs.
Let us help you navigate the complex world of special needs planning and provide peace of mind for you and your loved ones. Contact us today.
Navigating the Benefits of a Special Needs Trust
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 inability to support themselves through full-time employment, and it can create what seems like an unjust and costly scenario in our unforgiving system. While drafting a will is recommended, your heirs cannot touch the inheritance you leave until you are dead and gone.
On the other hand, well-funded special needs trusts can ensure that the beneficiary receives support today and into the future.
A Houston special needs trust attorney at Shields Law can help you create a special needs trust. Contact us to discuss the benefit of forming a trust today.
Planning for Your Loved One’s Care Through Legal Guardianship
There may come a moment in the lifetime of your children with special needs when you can’t be there to help with their immediate needs, such as time away from the 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 children with disabilities are cared for when you cannot be there for them. 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 can return.
Comprehensive Legal Guidance for Special Education
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.
Enlist the help of an experienced team of attorneys with multiple years of working on cases just like yours. Our lawyers can assist families in the legal matters of loved ones with disabilities.
Texas Special Needs Trusts
Texas special needs trusts and Supplemental Needs Trusts are legal arrangements designed to protect the assets and income of individuals with disabilities while still allowing them to receive government benefits.
These trusts can provide additional financial support for medical and personal expenses not covered by government assistance programs. It is important to consult with an experienced attorney to determine the best type of trust for your needs and ensure that it is properly established and managed.
Guardianship
Guardianship is a legal arrangement where a court appoints an individual responsible for the care and decision-making of another individual, usually a minor or an adult with a disability. The appointed guardian manages the person’s finances, healthcare, education, and daily life.
Guardianship can be a complex and emotionally charged process, and it is important to work with an experienced attorney to ensure that the process is handled properly and in the individual’s best interests.
Long-Term Planning & Medicaid
Long-term planning and Medicaid involve legally arranging a person’s finances and assets to qualify for Medicaid benefits while preserving their assets and income. Medicaid is a government program that provides healthcare assistance to individuals with limited income and resources.
Proper Medicaid Planning can help individuals or families pay for necessary medical care without depleting their savings or losing their homes. It is important to work with an experienced attorney to navigate the complex rules and regulations associated with Medicaid Planning and to ensure that the plan is properly established and managed.
Texas ABLE Accounts
Texas ABLE Accounts are tax-advantaged savings accounts designed to provide financial support for individuals with disabilities while allowing them to receive government benefits. You can use these accounts to pay for qualified expenses such as education, housing, transportation, and healthcare.
Texas ABLE Accounts can be established by the individual with a disability or by a parent, guardian, or agent. It is important to consult with an experienced attorney to determine the best course of action and ensure the account is properly established and managed.
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 you must take numerous considerations to determine eligibility based on their current age, the age at 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.
Special Education Law Programs
The No Child Left Behind Act and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) are in place to protect the rights 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.
Why Estate Planning Matters
Everyone has an estate, but very few take the time to organize a legally secure estate plan. It can be difficult to think about our own mortality sometimes. And, more than that, it can be almost impossible to think of our loved ones with special needs without us there providing love, care, and guidance.
But there will come a time, and we know not when we depart from this world. Those who took the time to prepare their estate plan leave their loved ones with more financial security and fewer headaches after they’re gone.
A special needs planning lawyer at Shields Law Firm can help you with:
- Creating a customized special needs plan for your loved one
- Ensuring that your loved one’s future is protected and financial affairs are in order
- Preserving government benefits such as Medicaid, and Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Providing legal guidance on trust planning, Creating a special needs trust to supplement government benefits without disqualifying the beneficiary from receiving them
- Offering valuable advice on guardianship or conservatorship, and durable power of attorney
- Reviewing and updating your special needs plan regularly to ensure that it remains current and meets your loved one’s evolving needs
At Shields Law Firm, we understand the importance of protecting the financial future of your loved ones with special needs. Our experienced special needs planning lawyers provide compassionate and comprehensive legal guidance to families throughout the planning process.
Do You Need a Special Needs Trust Attorney to Create a Trust?
While everyone has an estate worth protecting, no one is required to go through the estate planning process. However, it is recommended.
Unfortunately, like most things that make life easier in the long run, these matters are not always easy to establish, fund, and manage. So, while you may not require the services of an attorney knowledgeable in matters relating to special needs trusts, such a well-educated advocate and professional could be enormously beneficial.
The legal team of Shields Law Firm has years of experience serving families and helping them with their special needs planning, including, but not limited to, the creation of special needs trusts. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to schedule a discovery call.
Schedule a Discovery Call With Our Houston Special Needs Planning Attorney
There are so many things to consider when managing care for someone with a physical disability or a serious mental illness and any other related developmental disabilities. But it’s important to remember that you don’t have to do this alone.
