Planning Services Available Nationwide
Complimentary Consultation
- Discuss abilities and needs of your loved one with special needs
- Identify your primary concerns, objectives, address questions
- Define roles of Guardians, Conservators, Trustees, etc
- Review Current Legal Documents
- Provide Course of Action
Planning Process
- You will receive:
- Life Planning Data forms
- Letter of Intent forms
- Schedule Meeting with family, care givers and advisors
- The purpose of this meeting is to review the provided information, ask, and answer additional questions
- Contact other involved family members and/or friends: Grandparents, Siblings, Aunts and Uncles, etc to explain process and obtain their legal documents for review.
- Prepare plan including drafts of legal documents (includes codicils and amendments for all family members involved)
- Legal Documents: Special Needs Trust, Wills, Family Trust, Living Will, Powers of Attorney for Healthcare, Mental Health, and Legal and Financial issues
- Present/Finalize/Implement your plan
- Steps after signing legal documents:
- Obtain Tax ID# for the Special Needs Trust
- Change Beneficiaries: Life Insurance, Pensions, Annuities, etc
- Confirm other family members have signed codicils/amendments
- Review plan and administration of Special Needs Trust
Additional Services
- Guardianship/Conservatorship Filing
- Available in CA and AZ
- Please inquire about availability in other states
- Government Benefits
- Assistance regarding eligibility and other issues related to Social Security, Medi-Cal/AHCCCS (Medicaid), Medicare, IHSS, Regional Centers
- Divorced or Separated Parents
- If agreed to by parents working together, an additional Special Needs Trust is included
- Disability Trust CA/Special Treatment Trust (Medicaid Payback) if person with special needs under age 65 has assets in their name (gifts, inheritance, structured settlements)
- Miller Trust (Medicaid Qualified Income Trust) if person with special needs income causes ineligibility for ALTCS
- ABLE Act Accounts & SNT Fairness Act Information and Assistance*Fees are typically tax deductible, consult your tax advisor. We accept all major credit cards
Preparing for the Process
A Special Needs Trust should be prepared by a professional advisor with experience in estate and future needs planning for persons with special needs.
Proper preparation of a special needs trust can preserve government benefits and avoid the loss of assets intended for the person with disabilities. There are different types of Special Needs Trusts that serve specific purposes. Bart Stevens Special Needs Planning works along side your financial advisors to create the appropriate documentation.
