We are available to meet with clients in Champaign-Urbana area by appointment.
Contact Us

Estate Planning and Elder Law Attorney | Dent Coulson Elder Law

Get Help Right Away

Call Today: 618-632-7000 or 217-330-5500

or Send us an email

  • Home
  • Our Services
    • Alzheimer’s Planning
    • Asset Preservation Planning
    • Estate Planning
    • Medicaid Eligibility
    • Special Needs Planning
    • Trust and Estate Administration
    • VA Benefits Planning
  • News & Videos
    • Video Series
      • Coronavirus Preparedness
      • Asset Preservation Planning
      • Common Estate Planning Mistakes
      • Dealing With Alzheimer’s
      • Financial Exploitation of Elders
      • Handling Difficult Conversations with Seniors
      • Married Couples and Medicaid
      • Medicaid Application Process
      • Medicaid Look-Back Rule and Transfer Penalties
      • Nursing Home Admission and Care
      • Veterans Pension Benefits
      • What You Can and Can’t Keep with Medicaid
    • Weekly Newsletter
    • The Elder Law Minute
  • Alzheimer’s Guide
  • Presentations
    • Health Care Power of Attorney
  • Hear From Our Clients
    • Testimonials
    • Share Your Experience
  • About
    • About Us
    • Meet Our Team
    • Partners & Resources
    • About Our Fees
    • COVID-19 Policies
    • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
    • Email Us
    • Find Our Offices
    • Refer a Friend
  • DCEL Blog

Providing For Special Needs Grandchildren in an Estate Plan

Planning for special needs grandchildren, or other relative other than your own child, in your estate plan is a great way to help provide for their future once you are gone. However, it needs to be done the right way. People with special needs are often dependent, either now or later in life, on government assistance to pay for their important basic needs. By leaving money directly to them, you could potentially and inadvertently cause them to be disqualified from their much needed government funding.

In this Estate Planning Minute, Wes Coulson, Southern Illinois Elder Law attorney, discusses the Dos and Don’ts for providing for special needs grandchildren in an estate plan and why setting up a Special Needs Trust may be your best option.

Providing For Special Needs Grandchildren in an Estate Plan

Transcript:

Hi, I’m Wes Coulson and this is your Estate Planning Minute. I want to talk about some of the “Dos and Don’ts” for providing for a special needs grandchild, or other relative other than your own child.

First, the “Don’ts.” Don’t leave money or a share of the estate outright. Special needs people are often dependent, either now or later in life, on government assistance to pay for their important basic needs, and most of those programs, if you have money in your name that will disqualify you. So, literally, you can do more harm than good by leaving the money directly.

What you want to do instead is to provide for that family member through something called a Special Needs Trust. That’s going to benefit them without interfering for eligibility. Now, if you’re saying, “Well, it would cost a lot for me to have a Special Needs set up for that grandchild as part of my estate plan,” let me offer a practical suggestion there. First, if the child’s parents have a Special Needs Trust set up for them, then you can just say, “I leave this money to the Special Needs Trust that they’ve set up. If they don’t have one set up, then a wonderful gift could be to say, “You know, you need a Special Needs Trust for your child and, gift from me to you, I’ll pay for it.” Thanks.

For more information on Special Needs Planning, visit these articles:

  • Asset Preservation Planning and Adult Special Needs Children
  • The 9 Most Common Mistakes in Special Needs Planning
  • The Advantages of a “Stand Alone” Special Needs Trust

“Your Trusted Advisor on the Elder Care Journey”

Dent-Coulson Elder Law is dedicated to providing families in the St. Louis area with their Elder Law needs. Our practice areas include Asset Preservation Planning, Veterans Benefits, Medicaid Eligibility, Alzheimer’s Planning, Special Needs Planning, Estate Planning and more. We understand the financial challenges you may face as you and your loved ones grow older. At Dent-Coulson Elder Law, our clients’ well-being is our number one priority. For immediate help, call (877)995-6876 or Contact Us and we will get in touch as soon as possible.

Veterans Benefits O'Fallon ILFor Immediate Help

If you or a loved one needs immediate help with a planning matter or legal issue, please contact us, and we will get back to you promptly.

774 Sunset Blvd Suite 200
O'Fallon, IL 62269
IL: (618) 632-7000
MO: (314) 567-9292

1901 South Fourth Street,
Suite 211, Effingham, IL 62401
(217) 330-5500

Fax: (618) 632-7333

Office Hours
Monday - Thursday
8:30 am - 12:00 pm
1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Friday
8:30 am - 12:00 pm

Champaign-Urbana by appointment

Connect with Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Join us for a FREE Workshop

 

Free WorkshopsIf you have reached age 65, there's about a 45% chance that you will eventually need long-term care.

Join us for one of our highly informative and FREE workshops and find out how you can protect your family's hard-earned life savings.

Visit Free Workshops for more information.

Newsletter

Subscribe to our free weekly Newsletter and receive the latest news, updates and videos straight to your inbox!

Recent Posts

  • When Your Kids Aren’t Kids Anymore What They Need to Know About Your Estate Plan
  • Providing for a Child with Special Needs via Your Estate Plan
  • Naming a Third Party Professional as Trustee
  • Medicaid Misconceptions
  • Medicaid Divorce: An Option Worth Considering in Certain Cases

More News & Videos

  • Alzheimer's Planning (85)
  • Asset Preservation Planning (150)
  • Coronavirus Preparedness Series (9)
  • Coulson Elder Law (11)
  • DCEL Blog (1)
  • Document Signing (15)
  • Elder Law Minute Video (452)
  • Estate Planning (199)
  • Health Care Planning/Medicare (146)
  • Medicaid Eligibility (208)
  • News & Videos (496)
  • Special Needs Planning (48)
  • Trust Administration (14)
  • Veterans Benefits (51)

Front office building of Coulson Elder Law

Front office building of Coulson Elder Law

  • Directions to our office locations
  • Send us an email
  • About Us
  • News and Videos
  • Weekly Newsletter
  • Brochures
  • Presentations
  • Hear From Our Clients
  • Partners & Resources
  • Legal Disclaimer

Copyright © 2025 · Wesley J. Coulson | Dent Coulson Elder Law, LLC