If you have a child or family member with a disability, a well-meaning gift or inheritance can do real harm. Receiving assets directly can disqualify them from Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medi-Cal, the benefits they rely on.
A special-needs trust, also called a supplemental-needs trust, solves this. Assets held in the trust are not counted as the beneficiary's own resources, so they can stay eligible for benefits while the trust pays for what those benefits do not cover, like therapies, equipment, education, and quality-of-life expenses.
There are different kinds, including third-party trusts funded by parents or grandparents and first-party trusts funded with the beneficiary's own assets, each with its own rules. Choosing and drafting the right one matters.
We help families build special-needs trusts as part of a broader plan, and coordinate them with guardianship or conservatorship questions when needed. The first conversation is free.
This article is general information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Estate and business law change and depend on your specific situation. Speak with Donald W. Flaig before acting.