Special Needs Planning Services

Download a pdf of our services brochure here

Usually, estate and financial planning typically have three major phases.  The first phase is when the children are small.  Concerns most parents have at this stage center around a catastrophic death in which minor children are left behind.  In this case, planning for guardians and trusts for children are critical concerns.  The second phase is when the children are grown and no longer dependent upon the parents.  An inheritance then becomes a very nice addition to the children’s estates, but is no longer critical.  The third phase is when the parents’ estate is large enough that estate taxes would be imposed, and tax planning is in order.

With a special needs child, however, estate and financial planning are very different.  Very often, a disabled child will be dependent upon the parents or a caretaker/guardian throughout their lives.  The stage where special needs children might become independent is either delayed significantly, or will never happen.  As such, the concerns parents without special needs kids have are extended for parents with children who have special needs.

The lives of people with disabilities as well as their financial and lifestyle options have undergone many changes over the last 25 years. Less than a generation ago, a disabled person really only had two choices: he or she could live at home with family members assuming the responsibility for caretaking, or be placed in an institutional setting.  A generation of advocacy and hard work by parents and others who work with disabled people has provided more lifestyle choice.  Persistent parents have given special needs kids the ability to free and appropriate public education, and resources for care and increased independence.

Like most other things, however, proper care over the lifetime of a disabled person does not happen by accident. Only through proper planning can parents assure financial stability and proper caretaking for their children as well as caring for themselves. The reality today for families with disabled children are an increasing population of people with disabilities, which brings with it increased demand for services.  Disabled people, like all of us, are living longer lives, and are faced with increased costs of long-term care, coupled with shrinking government resources. Parents simply cannot assume that their child’s siblings will desire or be capable of providing care for the lifetime of their brother or sister. Consequently, undertaking planning at the earliest stage possible is critical.

Although there are numerous resources available to parents of special needs children, putting a comprehensive plan together can be a difficult job. A plan that includes all of the vital aspects of planning for the care for the child, planning for the financial security of both the parent and child, planning for special needs trusts and other forms of estate planning can be much simpler and understandable with help from a special needs planner

How We Can Help

Our firm, Special Needs Planners,  provides individually crafted special needs planning services to parents and guardians of disabled children. While an array of financial and legal tools are available to parents, most attorneys and financial planners don’t, by and large, offer A-Z planning for parents. Special Needs Planners provides a comprehensive plan to parents, based upon your needs, may include:

·         An assessment of your child’s needs through each stage of life

·         An assessment of your current financial capabilities

·         A written financial analysis of your current cash flow, debt and savings

·         A written recommendation for you to take to financial planners to create a financial plan

·         A written insurance needs analysis for you to take to insurance professionals

·         A written LifeCare plan for you to use as a guide to care of your child

·         A written letter of intent for you to use as a planning tool for future caregivers

·         An analysis of government benefits which may be for your child’s future

·         A written analysis of your current estate plan and recommendations for you to take to the attorney for estate and special needs documents

·         Assistance in coordinating advisors and keeping cooperative communications open between all advisors and you

·         Coaching you through the process

·         Yearly reviews of the life care and financial plans

How Do We Begin?

It all starts with your completion of a short initial questionnaire and an initial telephone or in-person consultation.  If you choose not to become a client of ours, there is no obligation for payment for the consultation. 

During the initial consultation, we can understand what your needs are, and based upon our discussion, we will tailor a program to your needs. We will prepare a written proposal for our work, along with a quote for our services, and you can then determine whether or not to work with us.

Download our Initial Questionnaire here

Email us to schedule a consultation appointment