Special Needs Trusts

Planning Services Available Nationwide

Complimentary Initial 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
  • Government Benefits
    • Assistance regarding eligibility and other issues related to Social Security, Medicaid.
  • Divorced or Separated Parents
    • If agreed to by parents working together, an additional Special Needs Trust is included
  • 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 Medicaid
  • ABLE Act Accounts & SNT Fairness Act Information and Assistance

*Fees are typically tax deductible, consult your tax advisor. We accept all major credit cards

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.

Benefits of the Special Needs Trust

  1. Protection of Assets
  2. Avoid or defer repayment to government healthcare agencies
  3. Assets in the Trust are not considered those of the person with special needs, thus they will be able to qualify for government entitlements
  4. Family appoints the manager of the trust (Trustee[s])
  5. Not liable for lawsuits or creditors of the beneficiary

How can you begin using our consulting services?
Contact us by E-mail using our convenient web-based form
call 480-991-0909
toll-free 888-447-2525.