Planning for the long-term care and financial security of a loved one with disabilities requires thoughtful attention and clear legal tools. At the Law Offices of Robert P. Bergman, we provide focused estate planning services to help families in Mission Hills and the surrounding areas build Special Needs Trusts designed to protect public benefits while preserving assets for quality of life. This page explains the purpose of a Special Needs Trust, how it interacts with benefits programs, and what steps families typically take when creating a trust tailored to a beneficiary with disabilities.
A Special Needs Trust can be a vital component of a thoughtful estate plan for a person who receives or may need means‑tested public benefits. These trusts allow funds to be held for the beneficiary’s supplemental needs without disqualifying them from Medicaid or Supplemental Security Income. Establishing the right trust language, trustee responsibilities, and distribution guidelines takes careful drafting and knowledge of federal and state benefit rules. Our goal is to provide clear options and help families understand how a trust can support independence, dignity, and long‑term care planning for a loved one.
A properly drafted Special Needs Trust preserves a beneficiary’s access to public benefits while allowing family resources to supplement their quality of life. This arrangement helps pay for medical expenses, therapies, education, transportation, and recreational opportunities that benefits do not cover. It also centralizes decision making and sets clear distribution guidelines so funds are used consistent with the beneficiary’s needs and family intentions. For caregivers and trustees, having a trust in place reduces uncertainty and supports continuity of care, which can be especially important as family circumstances change over time.
The Law Offices of Robert P. Bergman provides estate planning services to clients across California, helping families design trusts and related documents to meet specific objectives. Our practice focuses on practical solutions that protect public benefits while preserving resources for a beneficiary’s supplemental needs. We work closely with families to learn about medical needs, daily living goals, and long‑term care expectations so that the trust documents reflect real life and durable planning. Communication and clarity are priorities, and we strive to make the legal process understandable and manageable for every client.
A Special Needs Trust is a legal arrangement that holds assets for the benefit of a person with disabilities while protecting eligibility for government benefits. Different types of trusts exist depending on funding sources and objectives, and the trust language must be carefully tailored to avoid inadvertently jeopardizing benefits. The trustee manages distributions for items and services that supplement, rather than replace, what public benefits cover. Families should consider who will serve as trustee, whether a professional trustee is needed, and how distributions will be documented to comply with program rules.
Creating a Special Needs Trust involves analyzing current benefits, anticipated future needs, and available family resources. The trust document will address permitted distributions, trustee powers, and the relationship to other estate planning instruments such as wills, powers of attorney, and health care directives. Funding the trust may occur during lifetime or at death through a will or beneficiary designation. Ongoing administration requires careful recordkeeping and periodic review as benefit rules and family circumstances evolve, so plans remain effective and aligned with the beneficiary’s needs.
A Special Needs Trust holds funds for a person with disabilities without disqualifying that person from means‑tested benefits. The trust is intended to pay for supplemental items such as therapies, assistive devices, education, personal care, transportation and other supports that enhance quality of life. Trustees have a fiduciary duty to follow the trust terms and to make distributions that supplement benefits rather than replace them. Careful drafting ensures that the trust serves the beneficiary’s needs while remaining compatible with Medicaid and SSI rules, protecting long‑term eligibility and access to vital services.
Important elements of a Special Needs Trust include naming the beneficiary, designating a trustee and successor trustees, specifying permitted distributions, and addressing remainder provisions. The drafting process typically begins with a benefits assessment and family meeting to outline priorities and funding sources. Next comes preparing the trust document, coordinating related estate planning documents such as wills and powers of attorney, and funding the trust through transfers or beneficiary designations. After creation, the trustee maintains records, complies with reporting obligations, and consults with family members to ensure distributions support the beneficiary’s well‑being.
Understanding common terms helps families make informed decisions when planning for a loved one with disabilities. This glossary covers fundamental concepts such as trustee duties, means‑tested benefits, pooled trusts, primary versus supplemental needs, and remainder provisions. Familiarity with these terms makes it easier to evaluate trust options and gives families the language to discuss goals with legal advisors. The following glossary entries explain key phrases and how they apply in trust drafting and administration for individuals relying on public benefits and family support.
A trustee is the person or entity responsible for managing the trust assets, making distributions for the beneficiary, and keeping accurate records. The trustee must follow the terms of the trust document and act in the beneficiary’s best interest, using discretionary authority as provided. Choosing a trustee involves considering judgment, availability, administrative skills, and relationship to the beneficiary. Successor trustees should be named to provide continuity. Trustees also handle tax reporting and coordinate with benefits agencies to ensure trust distributions do not jeopardize eligibility for public benefits.
A pooled special needs trust is managed by a nonprofit organization that holds funds for multiple beneficiaries in separate accounts within a single pooled structure. This option can be appropriate for modest inheritances or when families prefer professional administration without establishing an individual trust. Each beneficiary benefits from pooled management while maintaining a separate account for their supplemental needs. At the beneficiary’s death, remaining funds may be used according to the nonprofit’s policies and any state recovery requirements. The pooled trust can simplify administration and provide cost efficiencies.
Supplemental needs refer to goods and services that enhance a beneficiary’s quality of life beyond what public benefits cover. Examples include private therapy, transportation, dental care, recreation, technology, and certain personal care items. The Special Needs Trust can pay for these supplemental items without reducing eligibility for Medicaid or Supplemental Security Income when carefully drafted. The trustee should evaluate requests in light of trust terms and benefit program rules to ensure distributions are discretionary and designed to supplement, not replace, basic needs provided by public benefits.
A remainder provision specifies what happens to any trust assets remaining after the beneficiary’s death. Typical options include returning funds to family members, donating to charities, or paying creditors including state claim for Medicaid recovery when applicable. Remainder language should be consistent with the family’s overall estate plan and may influence decisions about funding sources. Clear remainder provisions help trustees administer the trust responsibly and provide beneficiaries and heirs with a transparent plan for leftover assets once the trust’s purpose has concluded.
Families considering planning tools for a loved one with disabilities should weigh individual Special Needs Trusts, pooled trusts, and alternative approaches such as beneficiary designations or outright inheritance. An individual trust offers tailored control and distribution rules, while a pooled trust can be more cost effective for smaller funds. Beneficiary designations and wills must be coordinated carefully because outright gifts may disqualify a person from public benefits. Evaluating these options requires reviewing current assets, anticipated care needs, and the family’s long‑term intentions for support and oversight.
A limited approach, such as joining a pooled special needs trust or arranging a modest beneficiary designation, can suit families with smaller available funds. When resources are modest, the administrative costs and complexity of a standalone trust may outweigh the benefits. A pooled trust provides professional management and compliance with benefits rules while keeping expenses reasonable. Families should still ensure the chosen mechanism protects benefit eligibility and aligns with the beneficiary’s likely needs, and they should review options periodically as circumstances and assets change over time.
Some families prioritize quick implementation and straightforward administration, making a limited approach attractive. Simpler arrangements can reduce administrative burdens and create immediate pathways for supplemental support when they are designed to protect benefits. Even in straightforward cases, legal documents should be clearly drafted so that trustees and family members understand distribution limits and reporting responsibilities. Seeking professional drafting avoids ambiguity and helps ensure that the chosen arrangement functions as intended without jeopardizing eligibility for essential public programs.
Comprehensive planning is especially important when a beneficiary’s needs are complex or when multiple funding sources are involved, such as retirement accounts, life insurance, or family gifts. Thoughtful coordination of trusts, beneficiary designations, and complementary estate documents reduces the risk of unintended consequences. A coordinated plan can provide clear instructions for trustees and caregivers, streamline administration, and offer flexible options to address changing medical needs, educational opportunities, housing, and long‑term care arrangements while preserving benefit eligibility.
When planning must account for long‑term care needs and intergenerational goals, a comprehensive approach is often best. This includes integrating Special Needs Trusts with wills, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives so that decision makers have clear authority and funds are available as intended. A cohesive plan addresses succession for trustees, guardianship nominations if needed, and remainder provisions that reflect family wishes. Regular review ensures that documents adapt to law changes and family developments, maintaining protection for the beneficiary throughout their lifetime.
A coordinated estate plan reduces uncertainty for families by clarifying who makes decisions and how funds are used for a beneficiary with disabilities. It helps protect access to benefits while ensuring supplemental needs are met, coordinates tax and retirement considerations, and addresses continuity of care through trustee and guardian nominations. When documents are aligned, administration is smoother and disputes among family members are less likely. This kind of planning also makes it easier to adapt to life changes and to ensure that the beneficiary’s long‑term interests remain the central focus of financial and legal decisions.
Comprehensive planning enhances peace of mind by documenting family intentions and reducing the administrative burden for caregivers. Clear trust provisions enable trustees to make timely discretionary distributions for quality‑of‑life items while protecting public program eligibility. Coordinated documents also address contingencies such as incapacity, trustee succession, and future funding events. Families that plan comprehensively are better prepared for transitions, able to provide consistent support, and positioned to respond to new opportunities that improve the beneficiary’s independence and well‑being.
A carefully drafted Special Needs Trust can guard eligibility for Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income while allowing family funds to be used for supplemental care and enrichment. This balance enables access to basic supports and medical coverage while enhancing the beneficiary’s life through funded services and amenities not covered by public programs. Proper coordination with other estate planning tools prevents accidental disqualification and ensures that assets intended to assist the beneficiary are preserved and used in accordance with the family’s objectives over the long term.
Comprehensive planning creates a stable framework for trustees and caregivers to manage finances and care decisions consistently. When trustee duties, distribution standards, and successor arrangements are clearly documented, families experience less stress during transitions and emergencies. This structure promotes continuity of care and helps ensure beneficiaries receive ongoing support tailored to their evolving needs. A well-designed plan also facilitates coordination with healthcare providers, social workers, and service agencies, improving outcomes and making everyday life more manageable for the beneficiary and their loved ones.
Start by reviewing the beneficiary’s current benefits and likely future eligibility for Medicaid and SSI to determine how a trust will interact with public programs. A careful assessment clarifies which resources can be used without risk of disqualification and identifies gaps that a trust should address. Early assessment also helps families prioritize what the trust should pay for, such as therapies, assistive devices, education, or transportation. This foundation supports drafting precise trust language and choosing appropriate trustees so the plan functions as intended over time.
Ensure the Special Needs Trust is integrated with wills, powers of attorney, and health care directives so all documents work together. Pour‑over wills, beneficiary designations, and trust funding instructions must be aligned to avoid unintended distributions that jeopardize benefits. Regularly review and update documents after major life events, changes in assets, or shifts in medical needs. Clear coordination reduces the chance of administrative complications and helps trustees and family members carry out the beneficiary’s support according to the family’s long‑term intentions.
Families consider Special Needs Trusts when they want to protect a loved one’s eligibility for public benefits while preserving funds to improve quality of life. Trusts offer a structured way to provide for medical care, therapies, housing supports, education, enrichment activities, and technology without interfering with means‑tested programs. They also provide clarity about who controls funds and how distributions are made, which can prevent disputes and reduce stress. A trust is an effective tool for forward planning when a beneficiary will rely on both family resources and public programs.
A Special Needs Trust is also important when families want to designate how future inheritances or life insurance proceeds will be used without risking benefit eligibility. By directing these resources into a trust, families ensure that funds are available to cover supplemental needs, support long‑term care planning, and provide flexibility as the beneficiary’s circumstances evolve. For many, the trust becomes a cornerstone of a stable plan that balances immediate needs with protections for future public benefits and continuity of care.
Typical circumstances that prompt families to establish a Special Needs Trust include receipt of an inheritance, settlement proceeds, or life insurance benefits that could affect eligibility for means‑tested programs. It is also common when a child with disabilities approaches adulthood and parents want to preserve public benefits while providing supplementary supports. Other situations include planning for long‑term care needs, coordinating housing or guardianship matters, and preparing for the possibility that family caregivers may become unavailable. A trust provides a durable framework for ongoing support.
When a beneficiary is due to receive funds from an estate, settlement, or other source, placing those assets in a Special Needs Trust can protect eligibility for public benefits. Without a trust, an outright gift could raise countable resources above program limits and lead to loss of Medicaid or SSI. A trust preserves the intended support by channeling funds into permissible uses that enhance quality of life, while the trustee manages distributions prudently and maintains necessary records to demonstrate compliance with program rules.
As young adults with disabilities transition from pediatric to adult services, families often reassess benefits and supports. Establishing a Special Needs Trust before an individual reaches adulthood helps ensure continuity of benefits and creates a plan for supplemental needs such as vocational supports, education, or assistive technology. Proper planning provides clarity for caregivers and reduces the risk of interrupted services during critical life transitions, preserving eligibility while offering flexible resources to meet emerging priorities.
When a primary caregiver becomes ill, dies, or is otherwise unable to provide care, a Special Needs Trust offers financial backing and guidance for ongoing support. Trust arrangements can designate successor trustees and set distribution parameters to ensure the beneficiary continues to receive supplemental resources. Creating a trust in advance reduces disruption and provides successor decision makers with authority and clear instructions, helping to maintain stable living arrangements and access to services as caregiving responsibilities shift.
The Law Offices of Robert P. Bergman assists families in Mission Hills and nearby communities with forming and administering Special Needs Trusts. We explain the planning choices, draft documents that align with benefit rules, and help families coordinate trusts with wills, powers of attorney, and health care directives. Whether you are arranging to fund a trust now or planning for future inheritances, we provide practical guidance to ensure the trust supports the beneficiary’s needs and preserves their access to public programs. Our approach emphasizes clear communication and steady support throughout the process.
Families choose our firm because we focus on creating realistic, durable plans that address both benefit protection and the beneficiary’s quality of life. We take time to listen to family priorities, assess benefits and assets, and develop trust provisions that reflect those goals. Our drafting process includes careful attention to trustee powers, distribution standards, and remainder provisions to align with the family’s estate objectives. We also help coordinate related documents so the entire plan functions harmoniously and minimizes administrative surprises down the road.
Communication and accessibility are central to our approach. We aim to explain legal options in plain language, provide clear next steps, and respond to questions as families move through the trust creation and funding process. Our firm assists with practical matters such as naming trustees, funding the trust with various asset types, and preparing documentation needed to demonstrate proper use of trust funds. Ongoing support is available to review accountings and update documents when circumstances change.
We also assist families in planning for contingencies like trustee succession, guardianship nominations, and remainder planning. Thoughtful coordination with beneficiary designations, retirement accounts, and life insurance ensures assets flow into the trust as intended and that the beneficiary’s needs are prioritized. By building flexibility into documents and recommending periodic review, we help families maintain effective plans that respond to evolving medical, financial, and familial circumstances.
Our process begins with an initial consultation to understand the beneficiary’s needs, current benefits, and family resources. We perform a benefits assessment, review relevant documents, and outline viable trust options. Next, we draft the trust and related estate documents, coordinate funding methods, and explain trustee duties and administrative requirements. After execution, we provide guidance on funding steps and ongoing administration. We encourage periodic reviews so the plan remains aligned with changes in law, benefits rules, and the family’s circumstances.
During the intake and benefits assessment, we gather detailed information about current public benefits, medical needs, income sources, and asset composition. This step identifies how trust assets may affect eligibility and helps determine the most appropriate trust structure. We discuss funding scenarios including lifetime gifts, inheritances, and beneficiary designations, and recommend strategies that align with personal goals. The assessment provides a roadmap for drafting documents that protect benefits while allowing flexibility to meet the beneficiary’s supplemental needs.
Collecting accurate personal and financial information is essential for effective planning. We request documentation about income, current benefits, bank accounts, retirement assets, insurance policies, and any potential inheritances. Understanding living arrangements, medical needs, and caregiving plans helps us identify priorities for trust distributions and trustee responsibilities. This thorough review allows us to prepare documents that are customized to the beneficiary’s situation and that anticipate potential changes in circumstances or benefit eligibility.
We examine federal and state benefit rules to determine how proposed transfers or trust funding will affect the beneficiary’s eligibility for Medicaid and SSI. This evaluation informs whether an individual trust or pooled trust is most appropriate and whether lifetime funding or testamentary funding is advisable. Careful analysis of eligibility impacts enables families to make informed decisions about funding timing, trustee authority, and distribution parameters to preserve benefits while improving the beneficiary’s quality of life.
After the assessment, we draft a Special Needs Trust tailored to the beneficiary’s circumstances, along with any complementary documents such as a pour‑over will, powers of attorney, and health care directives. We focus on clear distribution language, trustee powers, and remainder instructions that reflect the family’s wishes. Drafting also includes recommending funding mechanisms and preparing any necessary transfer documents. We review drafts with family decision makers to ensure the documents align with expectations before final execution and funding.
Drafting includes creating trust provisions that define permissible distributions, outline trustee responsibilities, and set standards for documentation and accounting. Complementary documents such as a pour‑over will, beneficiary designations, and powers of attorney are prepared to ensure seamless transfer of assets into the trust. Clear instructions for trustee succession and remainder beneficiaries are included to support long‑term administration. Families review the documents to confirm that the plan reflects their goals before signing and funding steps begin.
We explain trustee duties, including prudent recordkeeping, managing distributions to supplement benefits, tax reporting, and communicating with benefits agencies when needed. Guidance covers creating clear distribution procedures, maintaining receipts, and preparing periodic accountings if required. Trustees receive direction on how to approach discretionary decisions in the beneficiary’s best interest and how to coordinate with caregivers and service providers. This support helps trustees manage responsibilities confidently and maintain compliance with program guidelines.
The final step includes executing the trust documents, funding the trust with bank accounts, retirement assets, life insurance, or pour‑over wills, and providing guidance on ongoing administration. We assist with account transfers, beneficiary designation changes, and coordination with financial institutions when needed. After funding, we remain available to advise trustees on distribution requests, recordkeeping, and updates to the plan. Regular reviews are recommended to ensure the trust continues to meet the beneficiary’s needs as circumstances and benefits rules change.
Funding a Special Needs Trust often involves multiple steps such as retitling bank accounts, changing beneficiary designations, and arranging pour‑over wills to transfer assets at death. We guide families through each step and coordinate with financial institutions, insurance companies, and retirement plan administrators as necessary. Proper funding is essential to ensure assets are protected and used according to trust terms, and we provide checklists and support to complete transfers correctly and minimize delays in making supplemental resources available to the beneficiary.
Ongoing administration includes maintaining records of distributions, preparing necessary tax filings, and monitoring changes to benefits rules that could affect eligibility. We offer ongoing support and periodic reviews to update trust provisions, beneficiary designations, and related estate documents as family needs and laws evolve. Regular check‑ins help trustees and families adapt to new circumstances, ensuring the trust continues to fulfill its purpose of protecting benefits while providing flexible supplemental support for the beneficiary.
A Special Needs Trust is designed to hold assets for a person with disabilities while preserving eligibility for means‑tested public benefits such as Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income. The trust allows a trustee to make discretionary distributions for supplemental needs that public programs do not cover. By keeping funds within the trust rather than giving them directly to the beneficiary, countable resources can remain below the eligibility thresholds that would otherwise disqualify someone from benefits. Clear drafting ensures that distributions are supplemental and documented appropriately. Trust language must be tailored to conform with federal and state program rules and to specify permitted uses, trustee powers, and remainder provisions. Trustees must manage funds prudently, keep records, and coordinate with caregivers and service providers to ensure distributions enhance the beneficiary’s quality of life without replacing benefits. Families should consult with legal counsel to determine the most appropriate trust structure based on the beneficiary’s current and anticipated needs.
Funding a Special Needs Trust can be accomplished through lifetime gifts, transfers at death via a pour‑over will, beneficiary designations on life insurance or retirement plans, or settlement proceeds. The chosen method should be evaluated for its effect on benefits eligibility and tax consequences. Some assets, like retirement accounts, require careful planning because distributions may be taxable and could affect eligibility; often funds are directed into a properly drafted trust through beneficiary designations to preserve benefit access. Timing and structure matter: placing funds in a trust before they are counted by benefits programs prevents disqualification, but rules vary depending on whether the trust is established as an individual trust, third‑party trust, or pooled trust. Families should coordinate funding steps with legal guidance to ensure the transfers accomplish the intended protection without unintended negative consequences.
Selecting an appropriate trustee involves considering the individual’s judgment, availability, organizational skills, and familiarity with the beneficiary’s needs. A family member may provide personal knowledge and dedication, while a professional or nonprofit trustee can offer continuity and administrative support. Trustee responsibilities include managing investments, making discretionary distributions for supplemental needs, maintaining meticulous records, and coordinating with benefits agencies and caregivers to avoid jeopardizing eligibility. Trustees should understand the limits on distributions to preserve public benefits and keep thorough documentation of all trust activity. Naming successor trustees and providing clear written guidance within the trust document helps ensure continuity if the initial trustee is unable to serve. Regular communication between trustees and family members helps align decisions with the beneficiary’s evolving needs.
An individual Special Needs Trust is created for a single beneficiary and is typically funded by family members or at death through a will. It provides tailored control over distributions and remainder provisions. A pooled trust, by contrast, is operated by a nonprofit organization that manages pooled funds for multiple beneficiaries while maintaining separate accounts for each beneficiary. The pooled model can be more cost‑effective for smaller amounts and provides professional administration. Choosing between individual and pooled trusts depends on funding amounts, family preferences for control, and administrative considerations. Families with larger resources or specific distribution wishes may prefer an individual trust, while those seeking a simpler or more affordable option might choose a pooled trust. Each option has different administrative rules and remainder policies that should be reviewed carefully.
Life insurance and retirement accounts can be effective ways to fund a Special Needs Trust, but proper beneficiary designations and coordination are required. Naming the trust as beneficiary of life insurance proceeds or arranging for retirement assets to flow into the trust can provide future funding without directly increasing countable resources during the beneficiary’s lifetime. However, tax and distribution implications must be considered, particularly for retirement accounts that generate taxable income on distribution. Using retirement assets to fund a trust often requires specialized planning to manage tax liabilities and distribution timing so the funds are used efficiently for the beneficiary’s benefit. Legal and financial guidance helps families structure beneficiary designations and account arrangements to align with trust objectives while minimizing unintended tax burdens or impacts on benefit eligibility.
Whether the state can seek reimbursement from trust assets after a beneficiary’s death depends on the trust type and funding source. For certain trusts that received Medicaid benefits on the beneficiary’s behalf, state recovery rules may apply to recover amounts paid for benefits before the remainder is distributed. Third‑party trusts funded by family members generally avoid state recovery, while payback provisions may apply to certain first‑party trusts. Understanding the differences and remainder language is essential to align with family intentions. Families should plan remainder provisions carefully and consider strategies to minimize state recovery where appropriate, such as designing a third‑party trust or using charitable remainder options if consistent with the family’s goals. Legal counsel can explain state recovery rules and recommend drafting techniques to address the family’s objectives for remaining trust assets.
A Special Needs Trust should be reviewed periodically, particularly after major life events such as changes in the beneficiary’s health, family changes, receipt of an inheritance, or changes in public benefit rules. Regular review ensures the trust continues to meet the beneficiary’s needs and that funding and distribution strategies remain effective. Reviewing documents also provides an opportunity to update trustee designations, remainder beneficiaries, and funding mechanisms to reflect current circumstances. Periodic legal review is prudent whenever there is a change in assets, medical needs, or government program guidelines. This proactive approach helps prevent unintended consequences, maintains benefit eligibility, and ensures that the trust remains an effective tool for long‑term support and financial protection for the beneficiary.
A Special Needs Trust can be used to support housing needs and contribute to long‑term care when structured carefully to avoid replacing benefits. Trust funds may be used for rent, accessible housing modifications, utilities, and services that improve living conditions, provided those expenditures are supplemental to benefits. For long‑term care, trusts can pay for items and services that are not covered by Medicaid or other programs, such as private room upgrades, certain therapies, and quality‑of‑life enhancements. Because housing and care often interact with means‑tested benefits, trustees should consult guidance and maintain documentation to demonstrate that distributions supplement rather than supplant public benefits. Coordinated planning with housing and care providers helps trustees make appropriate distribution decisions that support the beneficiary’s stability and well‑being.
Guardianship nominations and Special Needs Trusts work together to provide both decision‑making authority and financial resources for a person with disabilities. A guardianship nomination designates who should act as guardian for personal, medical, and residential decisions if needed, while the trust addresses financial support for supplemental needs. Coordinating these documents ensures that the appointed guardian and trustee have clear roles and that funds are available to support the beneficiary’s care and living arrangements. Families often include guardian nominations in their estate planning to reduce uncertainty and streamline transitions. Aligning guardianship nominations with trustee instructions and health care directives helps ensure cohesive decision making, preserves benefit eligibility, and provides a stable plan for the beneficiary’s future care.
To start creating a Special Needs Trust, gather information about the beneficiary’s benefits, income, assets, medical needs, and likely future support requirements. Document current benefit status and collect account statements, insurance policies, and any anticipated inheritances. Meeting with a legal advisor to discuss funding options, trustee selection, and draft trust provisions helps translate family goals into an effective plan. After the initial assessment, the next steps typically include drafting the trust and related estate documents, executing and funding the trust, and establishing administrative procedures for the trustee. Families should also plan for periodic review and updates to ensure the trust continues to meet the beneficiary’s evolving needs and remains compatible with changes in benefit programs.
Criminal Defense
Homicide Defense
Manslaughter
Assault and Battery
Assault with a Deadly Weapon
Battery Causing Great Bodily Injury
Domestic Violence
Domestic Violence Protection Orders
Domestic Violence Restraining Order
Arson Defense
Weapons Charges
Illegal Firearm Possessions
Civil Harassment
Civil Harassment Restraining Orders
School Violence Restraining Orders
Violent Crimes Defense
Estate Planning Practice Areas