Comprehensive Guide to Special Needs Planning for Adults in Fairfield Glade
Planning for an adult family member with disabilities requires careful legal planning that preserves benefits, manages assets, and protects long-term care needs while honoring personal preferences. In Fairfield Glade and surrounding areas, families face decisions about trusts, powers of attorney, healthcare directives, and public benefits eligibility. This page explains key steps, what to consider when arranging supports and safeguards, and how to create a plan that reduces the risk of losing critical benefits. Thoughtful planning helps families feel more confident about the future and provides clear directions for caregivers and decision makers when the need arises.
Effective special needs planning balances financial security with continued eligibility for government programs such as Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income. The right legal tools can provide for quality of life improvements without jeopardizing benefits, and they can lay out who will make financial and medical decisions if the person cannot. Families often want to preserve dignity, autonomy, and access to services while ensuring funds are available for housing, therapies, and daily needs. This introduction outlines common strategies and highlights questions to ask as you begin creating or updating a plan tailored to your loved one’s circumstances in Fairfield Glade.
Why Special Needs Planning Matters for Adult Loved Ones
Proper special needs planning offers protections that extend beyond simple asset transfers. It helps families maintain benefits that are tied to strict income and resource limits, while still providing discretionary support for enhanced quality of life. A well-constructed plan can reduce stress for caregivers by naming trusted decision makers for finances and healthcare, establishing long-term funding strategies, and setting clear instructions for housing and personal care. Planning also helps avoid future legal conflicts among family members and streamlines access to services, ensuring the person with disabilities receives consistent care and support aligned with their wishes.
About Jay Johnson Law Firm and Our Approach to Special Needs Planning
Jay Johnson Law Firm serves clients across Tennessee with a focus on estate planning, elder law, and planning for adults with disabilities. The firm prioritizes clear communication, practical solutions, and personalized plans that reflect each family’s values and financial realities. Our approach emphasizes preserving government benefits while creating flexibility through trusts and legal documents that address day-to-day needs and future contingencies. We work closely with families in Fairfield Glade to coordinate planning with healthcare providers, financial advisors, and social service professionals so plans are realistic and effective over the long term.
Understanding Special Needs Planning for Adults
Special needs planning is a legal process centered on protecting the well-being and benefits of adults who have disabilities or long term support needs. It often involves creating trusts designed to hold assets without disqualifying a person from means-tested public benefits, naming fiduciaries to manage funds, and drafting healthcare and incapacity documents. The planning process evaluates current resources, anticipated needs, living arrangements, and eligibility rules for programs such as Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income. Educating families about options and tradeoffs helps them select a plan that supports both immediate daily needs and long term stability.
Families engaging in special needs planning should expect a careful review of financial circumstances, benefit eligibility, and the person’s personal goals. Planning may include trust creation, beneficiary designations, guardianship alternatives, and documents to address medical decision making. Coordination with public benefit rules is essential to avoid inadvertent disqualification. This planning also includes contingency strategies for what happens if caregivers are no longer able to provide support and prioritizes continuity of services and housing. With proper arrangements, families can protect both the person’s lifestyle and access to vital programs that provide healthcare and income supports.
What Special Needs Planning Includes
Special needs planning is an umbrella term that covers legal tools and strategies designed to preserve public benefits while addressing additional needs through private funds. Common components include special needs trusts, powers of attorney for finances, healthcare directives, and mechanisms for distributing assets to a person with disabilities without affecting means-tested programs. Planning may also address housing, education supports, and long term care. The goal is to combine public and private resources thoughtfully so an adult with disabilities has stable support, access to necessary services, and a plan that reflects their preferences and dignity.
Key Elements and Typical Planning Process
The planning process usually begins with a comprehensive intake to identify the adult’s medical needs, current income and assets, and benefits eligibility. From there, legal tools such as a special needs trust or supplemental needs trust may be recommended to hold funds for permitted expenses. Powers of attorney and healthcare directives are created to ensure someone trusted can make decisions when needed. The plan will also include instructions for beneficiary designations and strategies to protect eligibility for Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income. Periodic reviews keep the plan aligned with changing laws and personal circumstances.
Key Terms and Glossary for Special Needs Planning
Understanding common terms used in special needs planning helps families make informed choices. This glossary defines concepts related to trusts, benefits, fiduciaries, and incapacity planning so you can better evaluate options and ask informed questions. Familiarity with these terms reduces confusion during meetings with attorneys and when coordinating with benefits administrators. Clear definitions also help families explain arrangements to caregivers and future decision makers, making transitions smoother and reducing the likelihood of mistakes that could affect eligibility for vital programs.
Special Needs Trust (SNT)
A special needs trust is a legal arrangement that holds assets for the benefit of a person with disabilities while preserving eligibility for means-tested public benefits. The trust can pay for supplemental goods and services that public programs do not cover, such as therapies, recreation, specialized equipment, or travel related to wellbeing. The trust is typically managed by a trustee who follows written instructions and prioritizes the beneficiary’s best interests. Properly drafted, an SNT allows the beneficiary to enjoy a higher quality of life without the trust assets being counted as available resources for benefit eligibility.
Power of Attorney for Finances
A financial power of attorney is a legal document that designates a trusted individual to manage financial affairs if the person becomes unable to do so. This can include paying bills, managing bank accounts, handling benefits paperwork, and making decisions about assets. A durable power of attorney remains effective if the principal is incapacitated, ensuring continuity in financial management. Selecting a reliable agent and specifying clear authority helps prevent disputes and ensures the person’s financial obligations and planning goals are managed consistently with their wishes.
Healthcare Directive and Healthcare Surrogate
A healthcare directive sets out the medical care preferences of an individual and may name a healthcare surrogate to make medical decisions if they cannot express their wishes. The directive can address life-sustaining treatments, preferred care settings, and other medical choices, and the surrogate acts in accordance with those directions and the beneficiary’s best interests. For adults with disabilities, clear healthcare planning helps ensure treatments align with values and medical needs, and it empowers caregivers and clinicians with the guidance needed to make timely decisions during critical moments.
Means-Tested Public Benefits
Means-tested public benefits are government programs such as Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income that require applicants to meet specific income and resource limits. Eligibility rules determine what assets and income are counted, and certain legal arrangements can affect qualification. Special needs planning focuses on structuring personal and family resources so the person retains access to these benefits while gaining supplemental support from private funds held in trust. Understanding how benefits count resources is fundamental to designing a plan that balances private support with public program eligibility.
Comparing Limited Approaches and Comprehensive Special Needs Planning
Families often weigh a minimal document set against a holistic planning approach. A limited approach might include a basic power of attorney and a will, which can address immediate needs but may leave gaps that jeopardize benefits or create management challenges. A comprehensive plan integrates trusts, guardianship alternatives, healthcare directives, and beneficiary coordination to address long term wellbeing and benefits preservation. Evaluating the pros and cons of each option in light of the person’s medical needs, financial picture, and family dynamics helps determine whether a more extensive plan is appropriate to protect stability over time.
When a Limited Planning Approach May Be Appropriate:
Lower Asset Levels and Stable Supports
A limited plan can be suitable when an adult with disabilities has minimal personal assets, reliable community supports, and stable eligibility for public benefits without additional private funding. In such situations, a straightforward power of attorney and healthcare directive paired with clear family arrangements may address immediate decision making and care coordination needs. Families should still confirm that benefit eligibility will not be endangered by any gifts or transfers and consider periodic reviews to account for changes in income, health status, or living arrangements that might require more comprehensive protections later.
Clear, Consistent Caregiving Arrangements
When caregiving roles are clearly defined among family or community providers and the adult’s needs are unlikely to change significantly, limited legal paperwork may provide sufficient guidance. Documents that name fiduciaries and outline healthcare wishes can help ensure smooth day-to-day management while avoiding more complex trust structures. Families choosing this route should keep lines of communication open, document responsibilities, and remain prepared to expand planning if needs evolve, funding sources change, or if there is a desire to provide private supplemental support that could affect benefit eligibility.
Why a Comprehensive Special Needs Plan May Be Advisable:
Protecting Benefit Eligibility While Providing Supplementary Support
Comprehensive planning is often recommended when private funds, inheritance, or family contributions need to be preserved for long term supplemental support without compromising eligibility for means-tested programs. Trusts and coordinated legal documents can direct how funds are used for approved expenses, maintain eligibility for programs like Medicaid, and offer oversight through trustee management. This approach reduces the risk that assets will be counted as available resources, which could lead to loss of essential healthcare or income supports for the adult with disabilities.
Complex Family Dynamics or Uncertain Future Care
When families face complex relationships, blended households, or uncertainty about future caregiving, a comprehensive plan provides clarity about roles, inheritance paths, and decision making authority. Trust arrangements and clear directives minimize the potential for disputes and ensure that financial and medical decisions follow a documented plan. Planning for contingencies such as caregiver incapacity, changing medical needs, or transitions in living arrangements helps maintain continuity of support and reduces stress on relatives who may otherwise need to navigate legal and administrative hurdles during critical times.
Benefits of a Comprehensive Special Needs Planning Approach
A comprehensive plan provides coordinated protection for benefits, establishes funding for supplemental needs, and identifies decision makers for financial and healthcare choices. It addresses contingency planning and outlines how funds should be used to enhance quality of life while minimizing risk to public programs. This integrated approach reduces the administrative burden on families, promotes consistent care, and clarifies the roles of trustees and guardians. Families gain peace of mind knowing there is a documented strategy for the long term that adapts as needs and circumstances change.
Comprehensive planning also makes transitions easier when life events occur such as relocation, changes in caregivers, or inheritances. By specifying trustee powers, allowable trust expenditures, and healthcare directions, the plan reduces uncertainty and protects both immediate needs and future stability. It can also include coordination with financial and social service professionals to maximize benefits and ensure efficient use of resources. Overall, a detailed plan helps families preserve a consistent standard of living and supports opportunities for enrichment that public benefits do not cover.
Maintaining Eligibility While Enhancing Quality of Life
One key benefit of a comprehensive plan is the ability to provide supplemental supports funded by private resources without jeopardizing eligibility for critical public programs. Properly structured trusts and benefit-aware strategies allow families to pay for goods and services that improve daily life while keeping the person eligible for healthcare and income supports. This balance makes it possible to secure therapies, assistive technology, social opportunities, and living arrangements that might otherwise be unaffordable or risk program disqualification if assets are not managed through appropriate legal means.
Clear Decision Making and Reduced Conflict
Comprehensive planning defines who will make financial and medical decisions, outlines the scope of authority, and sets priorities for care and spending. By documenting these choices, families reduce the chance of disagreements and uncertainty among caregivers, trustees, and relatives. Clear instructions help service providers and benefits administrators understand the intended use of resources, and they create a roadmap for transitions as circumstances change. This clarity supports smoother implementation of care plans and helps ensure that decisions reflect the wishes and best interests of the adult with disabilities.
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Practical Tips for Special Needs Planning
Start with a Benefits Review
Before making significant financial moves or drafting trust documents, assess current eligibility for benefits such as Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income. Understanding which assets and income are counted will guide decisions about how to structure support without disqualifying essential programs. A benefits review also helps identify immediate risks and informs whether a supplemental trust is needed to receive private funds. Families who begin with a benefits-focused assessment can avoid common pitfalls and design a plan that supports both public benefits and private enhancements securely.
Document Healthcare Wishes Clearly
Plan for Trustee and Caregiver Transitions
Select trustees and decision makers with care and document backup plans in case a primary caregiver cannot continue in their role. Provide written guidance, contact information for service providers, and a summary of daily routines and supports. Periodic meetings with trustees and family members help maintain alignment and ensure practical knowledge is transferred. Having a succession plan in place for trustees and caregivers prevents disruption in care and financial management, preserving continuity for the adult with disabilities and reducing stress during unexpected changes.
Reasons to Consider Special Needs Planning for an Adult Family Member
Families consider special needs planning to protect public benefits while providing for additional needs that government programs do not cover. Planning creates a legal framework for how supplemental funds should be used, identifies trusted decision makers, and establishes strategies for housing and long term care. It addresses potential future changes in health or financial circumstances and reduces the risk of conflicts among relatives. By creating a written plan now, families can ensure the adult with disabilities has a stable, well-coordinated support system that reflects their preferences and priorities.
Other reasons to pursue planning include managing inheritances or family contributions in a way that benefits the person long term, clarifying who will handle finances and medical decisions, and preventing disruptions in eligibility for programs such as Medicaid. Thoughtful planning also provides peace of mind for caregivers by outlining instructions for daily care, emergency responses, and long term goals. Families who document their intentions and create flexible, benefits-aware plans are better prepared to navigate transitions and protect the person’s wellbeing over time.
Common Situations That Lead Families to Seek Special Needs Planning
Typical triggers for special needs planning include receiving an inheritance or settlement, recognizing that a family member will need ongoing care, or experiencing a change in benefits status. Other circumstances include aging caregivers, a move to a different living arrangement, or new medical diagnoses that require long term supports. Any event that affects resources, eligibility, or caregiving capacity should prompt a review of planning documents so the adult’s access to services remains uninterrupted and financial provisions are aligned with long term needs.
Inheritance or Financial Gifts
When an adult with disabilities receives an inheritance or significant gift, families should consider trust arrangements that allow the funds to be used for supplemental needs without disqualifying public benefits. A properly drafted trust can preserve eligibility while enhancing quality of life through targeted expenditures on therapies, equipment, and recreational opportunities. Addressing these matters proactively prevents the loss of benefits and provides a clear path for managing new resources in a way that supports long term security and planned spending priorities for the beneficiary.
Caregiver Health or Availability Changes
Shifts in caregiver capacity, whether due to aging, illness, or changes in residence, often require updates to decision making documents and contingency plans. Ensuring a durable power of attorney, healthcare directive, and trustee succession are in place helps maintain continuity of care and financial management. Planning in advance for caregiver transitions ensures that the adult with disabilities continues to receive services and supervision without interruption, and it provides a documented roadmap for new caregivers and service providers to follow.
Changes in Living Arrangements or Service Needs
If an adult’s living situation changes or additional supports become necessary, planning should be revisited to confirm funding, legal authority, and benefits eligibility are aligned with new arrangements. Whether moving to supported housing, assisted living, or increased in-home care, documents such as trusts and directives need to reflect updated costs and care structures. Proactive review ensures resources are available for new services and that eligibility for public programs is preserved while the person’s quality of life and support network are maintained.
Fairfield Glade Special Needs Planning Attorney
Jay Johnson Law Firm provides assistance to families in Fairfield Glade and surrounding areas who are planning for adults with disabilities. We offer clear explanations of planning alternatives, coordinate with benefits administrators, and prepare documents that reflect family goals and practical needs. Whether you are beginning planning, updating an existing arrangement, or responding to a life change, we help create a plan that balances private support with continued access to essential programs. Our goal is to give families a practical path forward and reduce uncertainty about future care and finances.
Why Choose Jay Johnson Law Firm for Special Needs Planning
Jay Johnson Law Firm focuses on practical, benefits-aware planning that helps protect access to public programs while providing supplemental support tailored to individual needs. The firm emphasizes clear communication and collaborative planning, working with families to identify priorities and document instructions for caregivers and trustees. We guide families through complex eligibility rules and design plans that align with long term goals and day-to-day realities. Our process is client-focused and aims to create durable, flexible arrangements that stand up to future changes.
Clients appreciate an approach that emphasizes realistic solutions, attention to detail, and ongoing plan review. We help families evaluate options such as pooled or individual trusts, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives, and we coordinate with financial and social service professionals as needed. Clear documentation and thoughtful trustee selection reduce confusion during transitions and ensure that decisions about care and funds reflect the person’s best interests and family values. Planning now helps avoid urgent decisions later under stress.
The firm is available to assist with drafting, updating, and implementing special needs plans and can help families navigate the administrative steps required to maintain benefits. We provide practical guidance on permissible trust expenditures, compliance with program rules, and strategies for integrating private funds with public benefits. Our goal is to help families create plans that are durable, understandable, and effective in protecting access to services and enhancing quality of life for adults with disabilities in the Fairfield Glade area.
Contact Jay Johnson Law Firm for a Special Needs Planning Consultation
How the Special Needs Planning Process Works at Our Firm
The process begins with a careful intake to understand the adult’s needs, financial situation, and current benefits. We then review options and recommend a tailored plan that may include trusts, powers of attorney, healthcare directives, and beneficiary coordination. Drafting and execution of documents follows, along with guidance for implementing trusts and coordinating with benefits administrators. We also provide follow up reviews to ensure the plan continues to meet needs as circumstances or laws change, helping families maintain continuity and compliance over time.
Step One: Initial Assessment and Benefits Review
The initial stage evaluates medical needs, income, assets, and current benefits to identify immediate risks and planning priorities. We gather documentation about public benefits, existing estate plans, and any incoming funds or property that could affect eligibility. This assessment provides the foundation for recommending appropriate legal instruments and explains the tradeoffs involved in different approaches. Clear identification of resources and programs allows us to design a plan that preserves needed benefits while accommodating supplemental support from private funds or family contributions.
Gathering Documents and Medical Information
Collecting relevant records such as benefit award letters, financial statements, medical summaries, and existing wills or powers of attorney helps create an accurate picture of current status. We review these materials together to identify assets that may be counted toward benefit eligibility and to note any immediate planning steps required. Accurate and complete documentation streamlines the planning process and enables tailored recommendations that fit the individual’s needs and ensure continuity of services during transitions or emergencies.
Confirming Benefit Eligibility and Risks
We assess how assets and income are currently treated by relevant public programs and identify actions that could jeopardize eligibility. This review highlights whether a special needs trust or other legal structure is needed to preserve benefits, and it clarifies the timing of any transfers or changes. Understanding eligibility rules early in the process prevents costly mistakes and informs decisions about trustee powers, acceptable expenditures, and interactions with benefit administrators to ensure long term stability for the adult with disabilities.
Step Two: Drafting the Plan and Legal Documents
Once goals and resources are clear, we draft the documents that form the backbone of the plan. This often includes a special needs trust or similar vehicle, powers of attorney for finances, healthcare directives, and beneficiary directions. Drafting addresses permissible trust expenditures, trustee authority, succession planning, and coordination with public benefits. We explain each document in plain language so families understand how they function and what actions will be required to implement the plan effectively.
Creating Trusts and Establishing Trustee Roles
Trust documents are carefully drafted to ensure permitted uses of funds align with benefit rules and family priorities. Trustee duties, spending guidelines, and succession are specified to guide the long term management of trust assets. We discuss the responsibilities of a trustee and help families select appropriate individuals or institutional options. Clear trust provisions reduce the risk of misapplication of funds and provide a framework for trustees to make discretionary decisions in ways that best support the beneficiary’s wellbeing.
Preparing Powers of Attorney and Healthcare Documents
Powers of attorney and healthcare directives are prepared to ensure trusted decision makers can act promptly when needed. Documents are tailored to local law and practical family circumstances, addressing financial transactions, benefits administration, and medical choices. We also provide guidance on executing these documents properly and on filing or providing copies to financial institutions or healthcare providers as required. Clear, properly executed documents prevent delays and confusion during critical moments and help ensure continuity of care.
Step Three: Implementation and Ongoing Reviews
After documents are signed, we assist with implementing the plan by funding trusts, advising on beneficiary designations, and coordinating with benefits administrators when necessary. Implementation may include transferring assets into a trust, updating account registrations, and providing trustees with written instructions. We recommend periodic reviews and updates to account for changes in law, benefits policy, family circumstances, or the beneficiary’s needs. Regular reviews help keep the plan effective and responsive to evolving situations.
Funding Trusts and Coordinating with Institutions
Funding a trust requires transferring assets into the trust vehicle and updating records so the trust is recognized by financial institutions and benefits administrators. We help clients with practical steps for transferring accounts, titling property where appropriate, and documenting transactions. Coordination with banks, brokerage firms, and benefits offices ensures the trust functions as intended and that assets are available for permitted uses without being counted as resources against eligibility for public programs.
Periodic Plan Review and Adjustments
Life changes such as health developments, changes in caregiver roles, or new financial resources require reassessment of planning documents. Periodic review sessions help families update trustee designations, adjust spending guidelines, and respond to changes in benefits rules. Staying proactive about reviews preserves the integrity of the plan and ensures the adult’s needs continue to be met. Regular adjustments reduce the likelihood of disruptions and provide an opportunity to refine strategies as circumstances evolve.
Frequently Asked Questions About Special Needs Planning
What is a special needs trust and how does it help an adult with disabilities?
A special needs trust is a legal arrangement that holds assets for the benefit of an adult with disabilities while preserving eligibility for means-tested programs. The trust can be drafted to pay for supplemental needs that public benefits do not cover, such as therapies, adaptive equipment, recreational activities, or transportation that enhances daily life. Properly constructed trusts specify allowable expenditures and name a trustee to manage funds on behalf of the beneficiary, providing both support and protection. Having a trust in place can allow families to use private resources without jeopardizing essential public supports.
Will creating a trust cause my family member to lose Medicaid or Supplemental Security Income?
Creating a trust does not automatically cause loss of Medicaid or Supplemental Security Income when the trust is properly structured and meets program requirements. Certain trusts are specifically designed to be disregarded for means-tested benefit calculations, allowing the beneficiary to retain eligibility while receiving supplemental support. It is important to draft and fund the trust in a manner consistent with benefit rules and to coordinate with benefits administrators when necessary. Careful planning and timing of transfers are essential to avoid unintended consequences.
Who should be the trustee or decision maker for an adult with disabilities?
Select a trustee or decision maker who is trustworthy, organized, and willing to follow the beneficiary’s needs and the plan’s instructions. Many families choose a close relative, a professional fiduciary, or a combination of co-trustees to balance personal knowledge with administrative capability. Trustee duties can include managing funds, coordinating with service providers, authorizing permissible expenditures, and keeping records. Discussing responsibilities in advance and naming successor trustees provides continuity if circumstances change or a trustee is unable to serve.
How do powers of attorney and healthcare directives fit into special needs planning?
Powers of attorney and healthcare directives are essential components of a comprehensive plan because they name individuals authorized to act on behalf of the adult with disabilities for financial and medical matters. A durable financial power of attorney enables a trusted agent to manage benefits paperwork, pay bills, and handle banking tasks. A healthcare directive documents medical preferences and appoints a surrogate to make healthcare decisions when the individual cannot. Together these documents ensure timely decisions and help maintain the person’s quality of life during periods of incapacity.
Can an inheritance be used to improve quality of life without affecting benefits?
An inheritance can often be used to enhance an adult’s life through a properly drafted trust that preserves benefit eligibility while allowing for supplemental spending. Trust structures can direct funds toward allowable expenses such as specialized therapies, enrichment activities, and housing supports without being treated as countable resources. Families should avoid outright distributions that could disqualify benefits and instead plan transfers into benefit-aware trust arrangements that provide long term protection and flexibility for the beneficiary’s needs.
When should a family update or review a special needs plan?
Families should review special needs plans regularly and whenever there are major life events such as changes in health, caregiver availability, receipt of an inheritance, or changes in benefits rules. Routine reviews help ensure trusteeship designations, spending guidelines, and funding strategies remain appropriate. Legal and administrative changes can also affect how plans should be structured, so periodic updates preserve benefits and adapt the plan to current circumstances. Being proactive about reviews helps prevent crises and ensures the plan remains aligned with evolving needs.
What are the differences between pooled trusts and individual trusts?
Pooled trusts and individual trusts both provide ways to hold funds for a person with disabilities, but they operate differently. A pooled trust is managed by a nonprofit that pools resources from multiple beneficiaries while maintaining separate accounting for each individual’s funds, often offering lower administrative costs. An individual trust is created specifically for one beneficiary and offers greater customization at potentially higher administration costs. The best option depends on the family’s goals, the amount of assets, and preferred level of control over distributions.
How can families pay for housing or long term supports for an adult with disabilities?
Families can fund housing and long term supports through permitted trust expenditures, rental assistance coordination, or by combining public benefits with private funds held in trust. A trust can pay for costs that enhance living arrangements or fund supplemental services while the person retains access to public programs such as Medicaid for medical care. Properly structuring contributions and ensuring expenditures comply with benefit rules is essential. Coordinating with housing authorities and service providers helps integrate trust funds effectively into long term support planning.
How does the planning process work and how long does it take to implement?
The planning process typically starts with an assessment of the adult’s needs and benefits status, followed by drafting documents, funding trusts, and implementing administrative steps. Timeframes vary depending on document complexity, asset transfers, and coordination with institutions, but many plans can be drafted and executed within a few weeks to a few months. Implementation steps such as transferring accounts may require additional time and follow up. Ongoing monitoring ensures the plan remains effective and compliant with benefit rules over time.
What documents should I bring to my first planning meeting?
Bring documentation that clarifies current benefits, financial accounts, and medical information to your first meeting, including benefit award letters, bank statements, existing estate planning documents, and a summary of current supports and care needs. Information about incoming assets, anticipated inheritances, or settlements is also important. Providing a clear picture of resources and current arrangements enables a productive discussion about appropriate planning strategies and helps the attorney recommend the most suitable documents and trust options tailored to the adult’s circumstances.