Special Needs Trusts Services from Lifetime Achievement Award Winner – Donald D. Vanarelli, Esq.

Special Needs Planning for Future Financial Needs

Everyone should develop a plan for the future. This is especially important if you or a loved one is disabled.

Parents of a disabled child wish to ensure that appropriate care is available over the course of their child’s lifetime, even when they are no longer able to provide care for their disabled child themselves. If you or a loved one receiving public benefits based upon financial need such as Medicaid, SSI, supportive housing or other services from New Jersey receives an inheritance or personal injury settlement or award, planning with a knowledgeable legal professional and others is required to prevent the loss of the critical public benefits.

Vanarelli & Li, LLC serves the Union County, NJ area to help the disabled and their loved ones effectively plan for the future. Contact Vanarelli & Li, LLC to establish a plan for the future. Call us today at 908-232-7400.

Financial Planning and Trusts

An effective care plan may consist of a variety of financial tools and estate documents that may involve gifts, inheritances, retirement plans, life insurance policies, eligibility for public benefits, and trusts.

One of the most important special needs planning tools is a special needs trust, in which a third party holds assets for the benefit of a disabled person. Funds belonging to a disabled person or loved one can be transferred to a trust and distributed in a manner that provides for the disabled person’s special needs, including medical expenses and other costs. If the trust is properly drafted, the funds and other financial assets held in the special needs trust will not interfere with or impact a disabled person’s eligibility for Medicaid and other public benefits based on financial need, which the beneficiary may now receive or apply for in the future.

A special needs trust is an effective way to ensure that assets are available to you, a disabled child, or loved one in future years.

Click here to download the Special Needs Trusts Brochure.

Common reasons you, a child, or a family member may require a special needs trust include:

• Autism Spectrum Disorders
• Cerebral Palsy
• Down Syndrome
• Epilepsy
• Intellectual Disabilities
• Muscular Dystrophy
• Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
• Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries
• Mobility Impairments
• Psychological Disorders
• Learning Disabilities
• Speech Impairments
• Visual and Hearing Impairments

Here are some common financial planning considerations:

• It is often important to ensure public benefits remain available. Eligibility is often calculated based on income or need, so special care must be taken to avoid ineligibility.
• A trust can be funded from multiple sources.
• A “self-settled” special needs trust may be established by a disabled adult.

Contact Vanarelli & Li, LLC Today!

Plan ahead for your loved one’s care with the assistance of Vanarelli & Li, LLC. As a Certified Elder Law Attorney, NJ Super Lawyer, Donald D. Vanarelli, Esq. has the knowledge, skill and experience necessary to effectively represent you and your loved ones in this complex area of law. Our wide range of service areas allow us to effectively navigate the legal hurdles you face. If you have questions regarding special needs planning and trusts, speak to a member of our team today.

Submit the form on this page or call 908-232-7400 for prompt legal assistance.

Award-Winning New Jersey Disability and Elder Law Attorney Donald D. Vanarelli, Esq.

Mr. Vanarelli is a recipient of the Marilyn Askin Lifetime Achievement Award from the New Jersey State Bar Association’s Elder and Disability Law Section. The Lifetime Achievement Award, the Elder and Disability Law Section’s highest honor, is bestowed on an attorney with an established history of distinguished service who has made significant contributions in the field of elder and disability law throughout his or her career.

Read more about the qualifications of Mr. Donald D. Vanarelli >>

• Recipient, Lifetime Achievement Award, by the NJ State Bar Association, Elder & Disability Law Section
• Certified Elder Law Attorney, National Elder Law Foundation, accredited by the ABA
• Named to the Super Lawyer list for the years 2007–2016
• Rated “AV Preeminent” by Martindale-Hubbell, Signifying Professional Excellence
• Lead counsel in In re Keri, a landmark NJ Supreme Court case in which guardians, for the first time, were permitted to engage in public benefits planning to obtain Medicaid eligibility for their wards
• Lead counsel in Saccone v. Police and Firemen’s Retirement System, in which the NJ Supreme Court, for the first time, permitted a special needs trust to be designated as the beneficiary of a state pension
• Co-counsel in Galletta v. Velez, in which a federal court, for the first time, held that VA pension benefits are not countable in determining Medicaid eligibility
• Past Chair, Elder and Disability Law Section, NJ State Bar Association
• Founding Member, Academy of Special Needs Planners
• Founding Member, Council of Advanced Practitioners, National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys
• Certified as a National Certified Guardian by the Center for Guardianship Certification
• Selected as a panelist on the Union County Probate Early Settlement Panel
• Approved as a Mediator under the New Jersey Court Rules
• Recognized as an Accredited Professional Mediator
• Former Director, NJ Association of Professional Mediators
• Named to the list of Top Rated NJ Lawyers
• Trained as a Collaborative Law Professional
• Former Social Security Claims Representative for SSI and Medicaid claims

Call 908-232-7400 for assistance with special needs planning and trusts.

Additional NJ Special Needs Trusts Information >>

Vanarelli & Li, LLC provides special needs planning and elder law services throughout Union County, New Jersey including: Berkeley Heights | Clark | Cranford | Elizabeth | Fanwood | Garwood | Hillside | Kenilworth | Linden | Mountainside | New Providence | Plainfield | Rahway | Roselle | Roselle Park | Scotch Plains | Springfield | Summit | Union Township | Westfield | Winfield