Special Needs Trusts

A good special needs plan involves many key players, including a guardian, a health care proxy, an executor, a trustee and possibly a trust protector.  It’s a good idea to review these selections on a regular basis, because change is inevitable.

The choice of trustee is one of the most important decisions you'll make regarding your special needs trust. Here are five questions to keep in mind when considering who will serve in this crucial role.

Many parents have their retirement savings socked away in 401(k)s and IRAs. There are ways for beneficiaries to avoid paying taxes on the funds prematurely, but when a beneficiary has special needs, things get thorny.

California attorney Michael Avenatti has been charged with stealing from the settlements of clients, among them a paraplegic who was waiting for Avenatti to deposit his settlement funds into a special needs trust (SNT).

When parents ponder how to provide for their child with special needs, they sometimes forget one of the key advantages of a special needs trust. Members of the family and friends can make gifts once it has been set up.

My trustee claims that I insulted him in an email, which I did not. I believe he does not want to have to file income taxes on a special needs trust and used this as an excuse to bow out of...

Major changes to the “kiddie tax” could significantly increase the tax liability of assets placed in special needs trusts if the trust’s beneficiary is a minor and the income the trust earns is high enough.

A special needs trust is a legal document designed to help people with disabilities. It permits them to have funds that enhance their quality of life - without making them ineligible for public benefits.

The New York Times Magazine’s weekly The Ethicist column recently explored a difficult question that may challenge many parents of adult children with special needs.