Estate Planning and Children with Special Needs

What is estate planning?

Estate planning is the process of setting up a means of distribution of a person's estate - personal belongings - in the event of that person's death. This usually means writing up a will and resolving any issues that will become difficult for beneficiaries, like debt and taxes on property or designating legal guardians for minors or persons with handicaps.

The real reason that estate planning is so important isn't simply to make sure your family members and friends know "who gets what" when you die. (Now, doesn't that just sound cheerful?) The main reason to look into estate planning is to make sure to prevent any potential conflicts or added stress to your relatives after you're gone. By using good planning skills, you can help to keep people from feeling the added pressures of your taxes or debt. You can also make things very clear about exactly what is to be done with the belongings you have, as well as any minors you may have custody over. It's a way to plan ahead, so that you know everything will be taken care of in the event of your death.

How can I find an estate lawyer Philadelphia area?

For those in the Philadelphia area, a Philadelphia estate attorney can best help them in determining the best means of legally appointing new guardians and distributing an estate. In order to ensure that you know exactly what will happen in the event of your death, you should work closely with your estate lawyer. Philadelphia has many professionals on the market, and you shouldn't short-change yourself by choosing the first lawyer you come across. Be certain to check all of your sources to locate a good estate planning Philadelphia lawyer; these resources can include your local phone book, internet directories and searches, word-or-mouth endorsements, and local newspaper listings, for example. You can also contact the Philadelphia Estate Planning Council to help answer your questions and locate a good Philadelphia estate attorney.

I have a child with special needs. Why do I need a lawyer?

For those who have children with special needs or mental handicaps, it may come as a small surprise to learn that you'll need to find a Philadelphia estate attorney when your child is nearing adulthood. It doesn't make a lot of sense until you consider the implications of your child reaching legal adulthood; at age 18, your son or daughter can be held accountable for crimes as an adult. He or she may in time be asked to file taxes for his or her income. He or she may be brought to court by an irritable, high-tempered stranger or summoned to jury duty. There are a lot of issues that can arise, simply because the government may not realize the special circumstance you and your child find yourself in. In order to avoid these situations, you'll want to seek out a probate lawyer Philadelphia has to offer.

In order to avoid this kind of confusion, you'll have to legally contest for guardianship of your child. This will allow you to take responsibility for your child's actions, just as though he or she were still a minor under your guardianship. You'll want to find an estate planning Philadelphia lawyer to help you with this process. Fortunately, any qualified probate lawyer Philadelphia has to offer will be able to help you, not only in gaining guardianship of your child with special needs, but also in drawing up specifications in your will making provision in case of your death. This means that if you die, your Philadelphia estate attorney will already have documentation providing for new guardianship of your son or daughter.

This means, of course, that you'll need to be in contact with whoever you've declared a new legal guardian in the event of your death. If you'll be designating your favorite sister-in-law to take care of your son or daughter, she'll want to know about it - and she may need to be present in court, or at the signing of the will. An estate planning Philadelphia firm will be able to help you address any complications that arise, and work with you through the process, so you know exactly what is expected of you (and your favorite sister-in-law.)

Why you should find a probate lawyer Philadelphia area

If you're living in the Philadelphia area, you should be working with an estate planning Philadelphia firm to make sure you know exactly what would happen in the event of your death, with regard to your loved ones. If you have a child with special needs, you should be especially certain to find a good, experienced estate lawyer Philadelphia area, so that you can keep frequent and open communications with your attorney. A good probate lawyer Philadelphia offers will be able to keep you informed about all of your options and guide you through the process of petitioning for guardianship of your adult son or daughter with a mental or physical handicap. Finding an estate lawyer Philadelphia experience has trained well, you will be able to work through the legal mess smoothly.