If you have an individual with special needs in your life, it is paramount to understand how special needs trusts operate and how the government taxes them.
Families with any children need to take special care when estate planning, particularly if the children are still in their minority and would need guardians after the parents died. Dying intestate has a number of consequences that robust estate planning can easily avoid. This is true for families with any number of children, and even those with none.
Often, persons starting on their estate planning journey have a keen eye on their beneficiaries: this is why living trusts are so popular, as living trusts often allow our clients to pass down big-ticket assets like property without the hassle of probate. However, if you happen to have a person with special needs in your life, the estate planning process becomes even more important.