Special Needs Planning

As someone caring for a person with special needs, whether a child or an adult, you want to do everything you can to create a good life for the one you love. But creating and maintaining such a life means navigating a complex maze of rules and regulations. To get through that maze, there is nothing more helpful than a skilled special needs attorney.



Our special needs firm has a proven ability to help clients make Connecticut and New York law work for them and their families. We can help you understand what resources are available to you, and how to take advantage of those resources. At the end of the day, we are here to help you find the best path towards protecting the rights of your loved one and ensuring his or her financial stability.

Exploring All The Options

Our firm can help you explore all the options available to you for caring for your loved one with special needs, including:

Special Needs Trusts

There are a number of different types of trusts that can be beneficial to an individual with special needs. A trust can help your loved one retain his or her eligibility for public assistance, while still providing additional financial support. A first party special needs trust can be created using your loved one’s own resources, or you or another third party can create a third party special needs trust. Our special needs estate planning firm is well-versed in special needs trusts, which means we can guide you to the right choice for your circumstances

Public Benefits

The various public benefits that may be available to your loved one can provide a solid foundation of financial security, but obtaining these benefits is often not as straightforward as it should be. Applicants are frequently denied, requiring sometimes repeated attempts to get access to benefits before success is realized. Our firm can help you determine what programs may work for your loved one – including Social Security Disability Income (SSDI), Social Security Income (SSI) and Medicaid.

Settlement Planning

While a settlement can provide a much-needed injection of funds to your loved one’s finances, it is important to realize that a settlement could disrupt access to public assistance without proper planning. Most public assistance programs have financial limits, and will cut off recipients if those limits are reached. We can help your loved one plan appropriately so that the risk of disruption is minimized.

ABLE Accounts

ABLE accounts are a relatively new option available to certain people with disabilities to help pay for their disability related expenses while still retaining access to their other benefits. We can help determine which ABLE options are best for your loved one and ensure that the account is constructed in the best possible way.

If you are disabled or are caring for an individual with disabilities, please contact our firm at your earliest convenience to learn about your different legal options. You may be surprised to discover that there are easier ways to obtain and retain financial stability and cover the costs of disability.