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Estate and Future Planning

Maintaining a disabled person's eligibility for government benefits beyond the age of 18 is an important part of utilizing resources well for maximum support. Parents and other caregivers need to understand the implications of their current financial and legal decisions on their disabled child's future.

The Center for Infants and Children with Special Needs at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center provides information to patients and families to assist in estate and future planning.

Estate Planning | Local Attorneys

Estate Planning

Parents and other family members often want to put money aside to care for their child with special health care needs when they are older. As parents age, it may be more difficult for them to provide care. In addition, the individual with a disability may want to be more independent. Having assets in the name of the child with special health care needs, regardless of their age, often disqualifies them from important government programs, detailed under financial assistance, that would provide much needed services.

As part of estate planning, families should look into establishing special needs trusts and / or leaving funds to a trusted family member or friend to be used only for the care of the child with special needs. If done properly, these could still provide the necessary funds to help the individual without disqualifying them from government programs. Funds may also be used earlier in the child's life for such needs as home or vehicle modifications without affecting eligibility for state programs. Because estate and future planning can be complicated, it is critical that you work with financial consultants and attorneys who are experts in this field. The resources below offer advice about wills, trusts and other issues that are helpful in the planning process.

Exceptional Parent Magazine offers online publications by about financial planning for the child with special needs.
Federal Citizen Information Center publishes Planning for Your Special Needs Child, an online pamphlet produced by the MetLife Consumer Education Center.
Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company provides information and assistance to families through their SpecialCare Initiative.
MetDESK (MetLife's Division of Estate Planning for Special Kids) is an internal unit within MetLife that provides information and assistance to families with special-needs children.
Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council publishes "Estate and Future Planning for Ohioans with Disabilities and Their Families" which provides an overview of Ohio estate planning options and a summary of future planning issues.
PLAN of Southwest Ohio, Inc. provides consultation to determine future planning needs. PLAN partners work with the disabled individual and family to make both short (6-12 months) and long-term (12 months +) planning. Referral for an interested, knowledgeable, experienced attorney is available though PLAN upon request.
Special Child is an online publication dedicated to parents of children with special needs. Special Child offers articles on various topics, including "Planning for Your Child's Future."

Local Attorneys

Cincinnati Children's does not endorse specific attorneys.

The Arc Hamilton County will send you an updated list of lawyers in the local area that have received training in special needs trusts and future planning.
PLAN of Southwest Ohio, Inc. can provide a referral to an attorney experienced in developing special needs trusts.

Several Cincinnati area attorneys include general estate planning and special needs trusts information on their web sites: