Special Needs Planning Lawyers Providing the Answers You & Your Family Need in Farmington
If you’re a parent to a child with special needs, you must make careful and well-planned choices to ensure a promising future. Special needs planning involves providing for the needs of our loved ones who suffer from mental and physical disabilities. Special needs planning encompasses the legal, financial, and social care aspects of your special needs child. It’s important to create a comprehensive plan that enables your loved one to have a successful and stable future.
Parents and guardians of those with special needs have unique concerns to address that most other parents don’t think about. If a child is mentally or physically disabled, their parents are forced to wonder who will provide for their child when they no longer capable. Parents often wonder: how will my special needs child have financial security when I pass away? How can I ensure the quality of life for my special needs child? How can I ensure they will be healthy? If medical expenses arise, how will they pay for it?
How Does Special Needs Planning Ensure Future Financial Stability and Quality of Life for Your Special Needs Child?
Special needs planning is designed to help special needs parents enact a plan for their child’s success. At Amicus Law Firm, we believe you should enjoy every day with your child and feel hope for the future instead of worry or doubt.
Consult with a special needs attorney to get started on the process of planning for your child’s future. A qualified attorney understands the step-by-step process of future planning. When your child reaches certain milestones, certain steps must be considered. For example, in many states, families contact a Utah estate planning attorney around their special needs child’s 18th birthday. In many states, when a child turns 18, parents are no longer automatically called upon to make important financial, educational, or medical decisions for their child. Amicus Law Firm is trained to provide legal counsel following the law in the Farmington, Utah region.
When your special needs child turns 18, you may opt to establish a power of attorney or legal guardianship. An attorney will help you decide what’s best for your family. The degree to which your special needs child is disabled determines if you need a power of attorney or legal guardianship. If your special needs child has the opportunity to live life somewhat independently, you may not need to designate someone to assist with making important decisions.
When a special needs child becomes an adult, they may also become eligible for Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), food stamps, or other government-issued financial assistance programs. Understanding the scope of these public assistance programs is vital when your child turns 18. If your child is unable to work or care for themselves, it is likely they will need to apply for government-issued financial assistance.
How Can a Special Needs Planning Attorney Help?
A special needs attorney can help with Medicaid planning, should you believe your child qualifies. Does your child require or will they in the future require full-time care? Will your child need to live in an assisted living facility? Do they have the capability to socialize? Depending on what your child’s specific needs are, this will affect how much money they’ll need monthly to ensure their quality of life. Not everything may be covered by public program assistance, so you must determine how much money you’ll need to pay out of pocket for certain expenses. Nursing homes and assisted living facilities can cost thousands of dollars every month. Expenses can skyrocket in the unfortunate event that your special needs loved one requires additional medical care over the years, such as if they experience an injury or a decline in mental capability.
Speak with a special needs lawyer earlier than later. This will help determine how much should be set aside, whether in an estate, a trust, or in a standard savings account. A special needs lawyer can discuss your child’s eligibility for assistance funded by the government such as Medicaid or SSI. When you set up a trust, you may diminish your child’s eligibility to receive these types of assistance. At Amicus Law Firm, we will discuss every option you have and provide sound legal advice for setting aside finances for your child without jeopardizing the ability for them to receive the help they may need later in life.
Special needs planning can seem overwhelming to caring parents. At Amicus Law Firm, we believe it doesn’t have to be. We are compassionate and skilled individuals who are accustomed to working with families of the disabled. Contact the Amicus Law Firm located in Farmington, Utah for special needs planning help today.
We are available to help you and your family right away. Please call us at 801-544-6466.
