Taking The Right Steps To Protect A Loved One With Special Needs

You’ve always provided care and support to your loved one with special needs, but as they turn 18, you will require special legal authority to continue making decisions on their behalf.

James A. Jones, Attorney at Law, handles a broad range of estate planning matters for clients in Tacoma and throughout the Seattle and Puget Sound region. We can provide you with the legal assistance you need to continue providing care and support to a child or another loved one with special needs.

Talk With An Attorney

To arrange your free consultation, contact the firm online or by telephone at (253) 383-7058.

Establishing Guardianships

The law assumes that every adult is capable of taking decisions for themselves. When a disability or medical condition renders a person incapable of making sound decisions, a trusted loved one may need to establish a guardianship to obtain the legal authority to make important decisions on that person’s behalf.

By establishing a guardianship, you can gain control over financial matters such as bank accounts and rent, and medical issues such as doctor visits and medication. Without having a guardianship in place, you may not legally be able to make those decisions and provide the care your loved one needs.

Special Needs Trusts

Special needs trust or supplemental needs trust is a valuable legal instrument for providing money and assets to a person with special needs. By establishing such a trust, you can provide the trust beneficiary with money and gifts without affecting their eligibility for means-tested government benefits.

By establishing a special needs trust, you can help your loved one enjoy simple but life-enriching items and activities that might otherwise lie out of their reach.