Orlando, FL Estate Planning Attorney Explains How a Special Needs Child Affects Your Estate Plan

If you have a child receiving government benefits, it is extremely important that your estate plan reflect that fact. This is because most government benefits are what's called a means tested. Meaning that if a beneficiary receives a bunch of money through an inheritance, they lose their benefits. In a lot of cases, this can end up wiping out the inheritance in months or few short years before the benefits will kick back on. through proper planning. Using things like special needs trusts, you have the ability to ensure that your child receives their benefits, but has their inheritance to supplement. So it's not one or the other. It's both and you can only do that through proper planning.