ESTATE PLANNING FOR FAMILIES WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

BY BETH C. MANES, ESQ.

Estate Planning is the process of "putting your affairs in order." This means not just signing a Last Will and Testament, which advises how your assets should be distributed upon your death, but also designating people to make decisions for you while you are still alive, but unable to make them for yourself.

GETTING A PLAN IN PLACE: If a family is planning for a child with special needs, whether an adult or a minor, it is imperative to be cognizant of the benefits available to the disabled family member, and how those benefits will be impacted by an inheritance.