How well would your family function if a medical emergency happened to you? As special needs parents, we tend to focus on preparing for emergencies that might happen to our kids, and it’s fair to say that’s a good thing to do. But in reality, there is probably a far greater probability of serious consequences happening if the primary caretaker in the family has an emergency and no preparation has been done.
- Who knows your child’s routine?
- Who knows how to contact medical providers – and has the authority to talk to them?
- Who has access to your appointment calendar?
- Who can access your bills and bank accounts to make sure the mortgage and the health insurance premium is paid?
- Who can authorize medical care for you – and who can authorize visitors to the hospital?
- Who can speak to your child’s teachers and therapists?
- Who knows how to spend your child’s benefits and to keep track of expenses for reporting purposes?
- Who knows how to find your child’s special needs trust?
- Is it clear who will become your child’s guardian if you can’t continue – or will family members be fighting over it?
- Will your child’s social security and medicaid benefits continue without interruption if your medical emergency becomes a death?
Americans are chronically underprepared for incapacity and death – less than half of adults have a will. Lack of planning creates unnecessary expense and chaos – but when you are also the caretaker of a special needs child or adult, that lack of planning can create immediate and serious problems for that child who is dependent on you for care.
Estate and incapacity planning for families with special needs members requires very specific tools, and requires thinking through more scenarios than other families. Attorneys at Parker Counsel special needs law firm know how to put together a plan that will meet your family’s specialized needs and we will work with you prepare for the worst of times with the least disruption to your child with disabilities.
Parker Counsel Legal Services serves families in Central Texas, Western Massachusetts, Northern New Jersey, and the New Hampshire Seacoast with special needs estate planning, special needs trusts, and guardianships. Contact us for a consultation at 833-RED-BOOT (833-733-2668) or legal@parkercounsel.com