Settlement Planning

Special needs trusts (also known as "supplemental needs" trusts) allow a disabled beneficiary to receive gifts, lawsuit settlements, or other funds and yet not lose his or her eligibility for certain government programs. Such trusts are drafted so that the...

Income paid from a special needs trust to a beneficiary will reduce SSI benefits by one dollar for every dollar paid to him or her directly. In addition, payments by the trust to the beneficiary for food or housing are...

This book offers a boilerplate special needs trust. Our reviewer finds many flaws and asks: Why would you want to scrimp on the one tool that will provide for your child'™s lifetime care?...

The special economic stimulus payments authorized by Congress in February will not affect the benefits of persons receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or other federal benefits.

Here are some important points to consider before finalizing your child's settlement to ensure the child's well-being over a lifetime.

When parents of a child with special needs divorce, income and custody could negatively affect the child's government benefits. Here are several things to look for in regards to this complicated issue.

If you are thinking about moving to another state with your child, or if your child has grown up and is moving to another state, provisions in your child's special needs trust may no longer be applicable.

If you or a loved one has a visual impairment and receives some form of Social Security benefit (which includes SSDI and SSI), or if you have a visual impairment and serve as a representative payee for someone who receives...

Section 111 of the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007 (MMSEA) adds new mandatory reporting requirements for insurers to determine whether a claimant is a Medicare beneficiary and report claim information. Ignorance of the law in this area...