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Melville, NY, Special Needs Planning Lawyer

Schneider, Garrastegui, & Fedele, PLLC helps parents provide for children with special needs without impacting their eligibility for government programs.
Call Us (631) 756-6006

Special Needs Planning in Melville, NY

If you have a loved one with special needs, you want to do everything in your power to protect and care for the individual. That goes beyond assisting with personal care. You also need to ensure your loved one has access to financial resources for housing, daily needs, and additional expenses. Moreover, your family member must continue to receive those resources well after you’re gone. While this can seem like an impossible task, you can accomplish your goals through special needs planning.

A Melville, NY, special needs planning lawyer from our firm can help you provide for your family member today and in the future. This might include accessing government programs and setting up a supplemental trust or ABLE account to help with expenses. Contact us today to set up a strategy session. We can explore the options to protect your loved one today and after you’re gone.

Special Needs Planning Services

We provide a range of services for people with special needs. Contact our Melville, NY, special needs planning lawyer to discuss:

  • Government programs
  • Supplemental trusts
  • ABLE accounts
  • Guardianships
  • Transition planning

These are just some of the services we provide. Start the process by setting up a strategy session with an attorney from our firm.

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Why Choose Schneider, Garrastegui, & Fedele, Pllc?

  • Hyper-focused on Your Needs – While some firms dabble in numerous practice areas, we focus on elder law and real estate. Our limited scope of practice allows us to stay up-to-date and provide hyper-focused, client-centric legal services.
  • Highly Rated – Our firm has accumulated numerous 5-star reviews on Google, Facebook, Yelp, and Avvo.
  • Two Locations to Serve You – Visit our fully staffed Class A office space in Melville, NY, or make an appointment at our satellite office in Hauppauge, NY.
  • Small Firm with Big Firm Assets – As a small firm, you can expect hands-on, customized service with us. At the same time, our assets are comparable to a much larger firm, so we have the resources to help clients of varying and even challenging needs.
  • Bilingual Support – With both English and Spanish-speaking staff and attorneys, you’ll feel at home at our firm.
Questions or Schedule An Appointment? Click to Call (631) 756-6006

Ny Able Program

If you want to help your loved one pay for basic living expenses without compromising government program eligibility, an ABLE account might be the right choice. ABLE stands for Achieving a Better Life Experience, and it’s a new option for New York residents. Your loved one can set up this tax-advantaged savings account as long as he or she was diagnosed with a disability before the age of 26.

Once the account is set up, friends, family members, and others can contribute. However, New York caps contributions at $14,000 a year, and the account cannot have more than $100,000 in it, or your loved one risks losing government benefits.

The disabled individual can use the funds for qualified disability expenses. This includes education, health, and housing, although that’s far from an all-inclusive list. Consult with a Melville, NY, special needs planning lawyer from our firm to learn more about ABLE accounts.

Special Needs Trusts

You can help your loved one pay for supplemental needs by setting up a special needs trust. If your loved one has a large settlement, he or she can use the funds to set up the account. However, you can also set it up on his or her behalf.

Once the trust is funded, your loved one can use the money to pay for supplemental needs, such as therapy, legal expenses, and medical equipment. Additionally, your loved one can use the money to pay for enriching experiences, such as entertainment and recreation.

There aren’t limits to the amount that can be transferred into a special needs trust. However, there are strict guidelines on how the money is used. Thus, consult with a Melville, NY, special needs planning lawyer before setting up and using a special needs trust.
Questions or Schedule An Appointment? Click to Call (631) 756-6006

Caring For A Special Needs Child

If your child is a minor, you are in charge of all medical and legal decisions. However, that will change when the child reaches the age of 18. At that point, your child will be a legal adult and in charge of his or her decisions. Depending on the disability, though, he or she might not have the capacity to handle the extra responsibility. If that’s the case, you can apply for guardianship.

If guardianship isn’t necessary, a health care proxy and power of attorney might be appropriate. Consult with our Melville, NY, special needs planning lawyer to discuss your specific needs.

Government Programs

Your loved one might be eligible for government programs to help with various expenses, including healthcare and housing. Our Melville, NY, special needs planning lawyer can help you locate programs and assist with the application process. Additionally, our attorney can advise you and your loved one on maintaining eligibility for the programs while accessing resources through an ABLE account, special needs trust, or another tool. If your loved one has yet to apply for these programs, you are leaving money on the table, so reach out to our firm today.

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135 Pinelawn Rd #250s, Melville, NY 11747
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Schneider, Garrastegui & Fedele PLLC

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Clients first entrusted us to help them with their estate planning and elder law issues over 30 years ago. Since then, we have expanded our practice to include real estate, but our focus continues to be on assisting clients with some of the biggest issues they will face in their lives.
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The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your individual situation. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship.

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