Many of the families we work with face unique challenges as they plan for the future. It is often said that aging out of special education services is like ‘falling off a cliff,’ and while we cannot slow time or stop your beautiful children from growing up too fast, we can help make this transition less fraught with uncertainty.
Skyer Law is thrilled to announce that Valerie Zaloom Buccino, an attorney with 26 years of experience in estate planning, special needs trusts, and guardianship legal services has joined our firm. Valerie’s particular expertise is working with families with special needs children.
We are pleased to offer the following legal services:
Estate Planning
Most of us are guilty of putting estate planning off. There are difficult decisions to make and you may dread undertaking a process that is time-consuming and upsetting. But working with someone who streamlines the process can give you peace of mind.
Estate planning means arranging what you want to have happen after your death or during your lifetime due to an illness, injury, or disability. Estate planning services at Skyer Law include wills, revocable living trusts, life estates, health care directives, powers of attorney, and more, depending on your family’s needs.
Special Needs Trusts
When your child has significant lifelong needs, services provided through Medicaid and base income through SSI are lifelines. The best way to protect critical access to these (and other) public benefits that may be available to your child is through a special needs trust.
Special Needs Trusts allow your child to inherit, receive gifts, receive settlements from lawsuits, and hold certain assets without losing their eligibility for programs like Medicaid or SSI. These trusts are drafted so that the funds held will not be considered for eligibility purposes for these programs and can be readily used as your child needs them throughout their life.
Guardianship and Alternatives to Guardianship
When a child turns 18, you no longer have the legal authority to make financial, personal, or medical decisions for them. Sometimes, becoming your disabled child’s guardian through an Article 17A petition is the best way to continue to care for them as adults if they are intellectually or developmentally disabled.
However, sometimes guardianship is not appropriate, but a young adult still needs more support making decisions. We can help you explore less restrictive alternatives, such as powers of attorney, health care proxies, and Supported Decision-Making agreements for your children as they approach adulthood.
To schedule a consultation with Valerie Zaloom Buccino, please contact Melissa Machado or Ben Foley at 212-532-9736 or info@skyerlaw.com.