Dispute Between Special Needs Trustee and Beneficiary’s Family
MARCH 28, 2016 VOLUME 23 NUMBER 12 A recent case from the Alaska Supreme Court addresses special needs trusts. It doesn’t break any legal ground (the decision actually focuses on an entirely procedural issue), but it does give us a chance to talk about common problems arising in the administration of such trusts. “T.V.”, then […]
“Decanting” of Trust for Medicaid Patient Challenged
JANUARY 11, 2016 VOLUME 23 NUMBER 2 Jane Murray (not her real name) died in 2003. She had created a number of trusts, including two for the benefit of her daughter Dana. Jane was very worried about Dana’s future, partly because of a long history of drug and alcohol abuse. She included some strong language […]
We Are Creeping Up On a Quarter Century Here
JANUARY 4, 2016 VOLUME 23 NUMBER 1 Note the “Volume” number above. Is it even possible that we’ve been doing this for 23 years? In that time, a number of topics have been perennially popular. We see a lot of internet traffic, and get a lot of questions or comments, when we write about: EINs […]
ABLE Act Update: Arizona Residents Could Have Access Next Month
DECEMBER 21, 2015 VOLUME 22 NUMBER 47 We’ve written before about the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act and the possibility that Arizona might get its own version adopted in the next legislative session. Now comes a pleasant surprise from Washington: Arizonans with disabilities won’t have to wait for our legislature to act. Last […]
Mother’s Gifts to Children Create Dispute Over Special Needs Daughter
SEPTEMBER 21, 2015 VOLUME 22 NUMBER 34 What plans should you make when you have a child receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Medicaid benefits? Should you create a special needs trust? Disinherit that child so their benefits won’t be affected? Leave their “share” of your estate to another child or children instead? We get […]
Debit Card for Special Needs Trust Creates Eligibility Problem
AUGUST 3, 2015 VOLUME 22 NUMBER 28 As part of Pennsylvanian Sharon Edwards’ (not her real name) divorce settlement, she and her husband agreed to establishment of a special needs trust to hold some of the marital property she would receive. With the trust in place, Sharon would continue to qualify for Supplemental Security Income […]
Managing a Special Needs Trust — The Handbook
APRIL 13, 2015 VOLUME 22 NUMBER 14 Are you named as trustee of a special needs trust? Are you a trust beneficiary, wondering about how the trust should be administered? Or are you a parent or grandparent of an individual with a disability, wondering about what a special needs trust might actually look like in […]
Income Taxation of the Self-Settled Special Needs Trust
MARCH 16, 2015 VOLUME 22 NUMBER 11 This time of year, we are often asked about income tax issues — especially when a trust is involved. It may take us several newsletters, but let’s see if we can’t demystify the income taxation of trusts. We will start with the type of trust we most often […]
Top Ten Reasons You Might Want a Trust, Rather Than Just a Will
JANUARY 26, 2015 VOLUME 22 NUMBER 4 Do you need a living trust? Even with an estate tax threshold of over $5 million (and double that, for most married couples)? That is the primary question posed by most of our estate planning clients. For years the answer depended mostly on the size of your estate. […]
ABLE Act Passes — We’ll Tell You What It Means
DECEMBER 22, 2014 VOLUME 21 NUMBER 46 The Achieving a Better Life Experience Act passed the U.S. Senate last week, and President Obama signed it over that same weekend. But what does it mean for people with disabilities, and for their families? How will you be able to use the accounts authorized by the ABLE […]