Key advantages include maintaining eligibility for supplemental benefits, controlling disbursements for care, and safeguarding a loved one’s future without surrendering essential support. A well-designed trust can bridge gaps between daily needs and long-term goals, while offering trustees practical tools for ongoing management and oversight.
This approach strengthens protection of eligibility for Medicaid and SSI, shielding resources from improper disbursements and asset transfers while ensuring essential supports remain available for daily living, therapies, and community participation through carefully managed distributions and trustee oversight.
Choosing our firm means working with a team that prioritizes clarity, transparent communication, and practical solutions. We tailor strategies to your family’s values, assets, and care needs, helping you build a plan that remains flexible as life evolves.
Periodic reviews with trustees, care managers, and professionals ensure the plan adapts to changes in health, finances, and regulations. We provide documentation, reminders, and options for amendments to keep the trust current and effective.
A Special Needs Trust is a legal tool designed to supplement care for a beneficiary with disabilities without impairing eligibility for needs-based benefits like Medicaid or SSI. It allows funds to be used for disability-related needs beyond what government programs cover. Any family facing disability planning should consider how a trust can coordinate with government benefits while providing for education, healthcare, housing, and enrichment activities. An attorney can clarify how to structure funding, appoint a trustee, and manage distributions.
Costs vary depending on complexity, documents, and whether a pooled trust or separate trust is chosen. You may pay a flat fee for drafting and a separate fee for extended administration. We provide transparent pricing and discuss options during the initial consultation. Some clients opt for ongoing support to manage annual filings, amendments, and benefit coordination, which can be economical when long-term maintenance is required.
A stand-alone SNT is created for a single beneficiary with assets held in a dedicated trust. A pooled trust merges funds with others under professional administration, offering cost efficiencies but requiring careful individual distributions. Choosing between them depends on asset levels, goals, and oversight preferences. We explain options and tailor the approach to fit your family’s needs.
Properly drafted, a Special Needs Trust does not count assets toward eligibility for Medicaid or SSI. Distributions must be carefully managed to avoid direct ownership of resources that count against those limits. We ensure the structure preserves benefits while providing needed support. If circumstances change, we adjust the plan to maintain protection and meet new care needs. Our team can guide you through amendments with minimal disruption and clarity.
Maryland allows both stand-alone SNTs and pooled trusts under certain rules. Pooled trusts may offer cost efficiencies and professional administration, while stand-alone trusts provide more control. We explain which path best fits your funding level and goals. We tailor recommendations after reviewing family assets, benefits, and caregiving arrangements to ensure the chosen option supports lifelong care and independence for the beneficiary.
Trustees manage distributions, oversee investments, and ensure compliance with program rules. They should be reliable, understand the beneficiary’s goals, and communicate regularly with family and professionals. A strong trustee relationship helps the plan function smoothly over time. We assist in selecting trustees, provide training, and offer ongoing support to ensure fiduciary duties are met and beneficiaries’ needs are prioritized.
Yes. Proceeds from life insurance can be directed into a special needs trust either at death or via an irrevocable policy assignment. This strategy preserves benefits while providing funds for final expenses, care, or education. We align this funding with state rules and your overall estate plan. We will review tax implications and timing.
Government programs periodically update rules, asset limits, and eligibility. A well-drafted trust anticipates these changes by using protective language, flexible distributions, and trustee oversight to prevent unintended loss of benefits. We monitor policy developments and adjust plans when needed to maintain eligibility and ensure ongoing support for the beneficiary over time.
Choose someone dependable who understands the beneficiary’s needs, communicates clearly, and can handle financial responsibilities. Many families select a family member, a trusted friend, or a professional fiduciary who has experience with benefits rules. We provide guidance on evaluating candidates, setting duties, and establishing oversight mechanisms to ensure the trustee acts in the beneficiary’s best interests.
In the initial consultation, we discuss the beneficiary’s needs, assets, family dynamics, and goals for the trust. We explain options, timelines, and potential benefits interactions, and outline a plan tailored to your circumstances. We also share pricing, next steps, and what information to bring, so you leave with clarity and a clear path forward.
