Legal Guardianship for Children With Special Needs: 3 Steps

Preparing a comprehensive estate plan to protect a child with special needs can be an emotional roller coaster. On the one hand, parents should be relieved that they are taking steps to guarantee that their child will be well cared...

Key Documents for Parents of Children With Special Needs

August 21, 2025
Tim Larson
Estate Planning, Our Blog, Special Needs Planning, Wills & Trusts

One in five children in the United States have special needs, per the Annie E. Casey Foundation. These include children with physical, developmental, and behavioral disabilities. Beyond day-to-day responsibilities such as taking a child to medical appointments or providing direct...

Special Needs Planning for Blended Families

For blended families that include a child with special needs, financial and legal planning extends well beyond the usual parental concerns. But as with all family matters, proactive planning can help.

The Benefits of Establishing a Special Needs Trust Early

For families of children with disabilities, planning for a lifetime of support is both a practical necessity and a compassionate act. One of the most powerful tools available to help secure a stable financial future for a child with special...

10 Tips to Consider for Special Needs Planning

Careful planning for the future of a loved one with special needs is one of the most critical life-protecting tasks you will ever provide for them. To approach the planning process in a meaningful and comprehensive way, consider the following...

A military dad sits a table with his daughter on his lap. She is touching the tip of his nose with her finger and while he is holding a blue iPad.

Funding a Special Needs Trust With a Survivor Benefit Plan

An estimated 20 percent of military-connected children have special needs, according to the National Institutes of Health. With a Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP), military members can provide for their children with disabilities while helping them maintain access to other benefits.

I Don’t Need SSI or Medicaid. Why Get a Special Needs Trust?

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is a federal program that typically provides cash stipends to people who have paid into the Social Security system and who can't work because of a disability. (In some cases, it is possible to receive...

Supplemental vs. Special Needs Trusts: Any Difference?

Have you heard the terms “special” needs trust and “supplemental” needs trust and wondered what the difference is? The simple answer is that there’s no difference. Whether supplemental or special, these trusts serve the same purpose of helping meet the needs...

Lifetime Money Management for Children With Disabilities

Children with disabilities present a unique challenge for parents who are looking to engage in estate planning. For one, you will want to optimize your estate to use, enhance, and enrich assets for your child. At the same time, maintaining...

Choosing Trustees for Special Needs Trusts: 5 Considerations

March 14, 2024
Tim Larson
Estate Planning, Our Blog, Special Needs Planning

Choosing the right person to serve as trustee of a special needs trust (SNT) is a key task when creating such a trust. It may also prove to be one of the most challenging. Trustees are responsible for the following: managing...