If you are struggling to raise a child with a physical or developmental disability, we understand the obstacles and difficulties you may be facing. At Your Legacy Legal Care, our Houston special needs planning lawyer can help you find the assistance you need today and show you how to ensure your special needs child will be well-cared for when you are gone or are no longer able to serve as the primary caregiver. We want your child to receive his or her inheritance and to guarantee that he or she is never dependent on the inadequate care provided by the government for support. With the correct planning tools, such as a special needs trust, you can work to ensure that your loved one’s future is safe and secure.
At Your Legacy Legal Care in Houston, we are dedicated to providing comprehensive planning services to families with special needs children. Our attorneys will help you to manage them with efficiency and skill. To speak with one of our planning professionals about developing a plan to care for your child long-term, contact us to schedule an appointment at one of our conveniently located Houston, Texas, offices.
Experienced Special Needs Trust Attorney
To ensure that your child’s future is effectively protected, our lawyers will work with different agencies to obtain as much information as we can. We will use that information to ensure that your child maximizes his or her benefits while getting the care he or she needs. Some of the other ways we can help include:
- Designing a special needs trust for your child to avoid costly mistakes down the road
- Alleviating any concerns you may have regarding your child’s eligibility for SSI and other government benefits
- Preparing an inheritance for your child that will ensure he or she is never left dependent on the government for care and support
- Guiding you and your family through the guardianship process once your child turns 18
To accomplish these goals, our compassionate attorneys will work with you one on one to make certain that we understand your needs and priorities. Through a thorough investigation of your financial situation, we will be able to determine what benefits are available to you and what strategies we can use to maximize financial security going forward.
Discuss Your Options With a Houston Special Needs Planning Attorney
At Your Legacy Legal Care, we understand that these types of decisions can be difficult and often painful to make. That is why we are here to help. Contact our office to meet with one of our Houston special needs planning attorneys to discuss your situation.
One major part of any estate plan involves providing care and comfort for those who cannot take care of themselves. This can include ensuring an income for minors, as well as for elders or those with a disability.
Perhaps the most effective way to accomplish this goal is to set up a trust. Trusts can provide a steady stream of income. At the same time, they can function as a way to protect assets from those who may not have the wherewithal to properly manage the property themselves. A Houston estate planning attorney can work to identify your goals and create an estate plan that provides for the future of your loved ones. Do not hesitate to speak with a compassionate attorney today.
Trusts Provide a Unique Opportunity to Set Aside Funds for Others
There are many ways to transfer ownership of property from one person to another. It may be possible to give money or property as a gift. However, this may result in the payment of unnecessary taxes.
It may also be possible to devise property through a will. In these instances, a beneficiary will need to wait until the testator dies to receive the benefits of the property. At the same time, the probate court may delay or even invalidate a testator’s wishes.
Creating a trust works to solve both these problems. Property that moves through a trust is subject to neither gift taxation nor the probate process. Due to this, a trust may be the best way to ensure that the full benefit of an asset moves to the intended beneficiaries.
Trusts Can Protect Heirs and Beneficiaries Who Need Extra Help
Forming a trust can be fairly straightforward. According to Texas Trust Code § 112.001, parties form a trust when they declare that property moves to the control of a trustee, name a trustee to hold that property, or declare that ownership of property will transfer to a trust upon the trust maker’s death.
This can have special benefits for people with a disability. Normally, children are unable to directly inherit property. This means that even though a minor may be an heir in a will, they will not be able to take control over that property should the testator die before the child becomes an adult. Keeping property in trust ensures that the child will receive the property at a specified time.
In addition, trusts can function to benefit people with special needs. A caveat of a trust can be that a trustee distributes funds every month to cover a disabled person’s expenses. Since a trustee has a duty to care for the interests of the beneficiary, trust makers can rest assured that this distribution will occur. A knowledgeable Houston special needs trust attorney can work to create a plan that works best for a family and their specific needs.
Let a Houston Special Needs Planning Attorney Help You to Provide for Another’s Future
The goal of all estate plans is to ensure the comfort of loved ones in the future. For people who have loved ones with a disability, this is especially important. Crafting a trust can provide a steady source of income for those with disabilities. It can also hold property in a secure position until a child becomes an adult.
Contact us to discuss your options concerning special needs planning for vulnerable people in Houston. An attorney is ready to listen to your concerns and to create an estate plan that serves both your interests and those of your loved ones.
