Law school and the years of research and continuing education that come afterward seem to place all (or most) of the emphasis on the legal aspects of a given situation. That probably doesn’t come as much of a surprise to you. But, as a Grand Rapids estate planning lawyer I’ve come to realize that the legal without the practical can leave holes in a family’s planning. That is why I focus on providing my client families with an estate plan that covers both the legal AND the practical sides of life.
And in my opinion, planning for a family who has one or more children with special needs is one of the areas where this legal/practical combination is the most important. I truly believe it starts with the special needs planning lawyer’s perspective – it should be a caring one. You can read some of my thoughts by reading my previous blog posts here and here. Those posts focus on some of the legal issues that need to be considered when planning for a child with special needs.
The list of practical considerations is even greater when planning for a child with special needs. A letter of intent is one very important practical item that parents of a special needs child should make sure is part of their estate plan. My colleague, Rania Combs, recently wrote an excellent post on the topic, which you can read by clicking here. She provides many excellent suggestions on the topics that should be covered and answers some common questions.
At Lichterman Law, we provide all our client families with a similar draft document as part of our Children Protection Plan. And for our client families who have children with special needs, we make sure to walk with them through the important legal and practical considerations that will help make sure their child with special needs is cared for by who they want, in the way they want and with all the love and support they deserve.
Call us at 616-827-7596 to find out if your family qualifies for the Lichterman Law Difference. And if you reference this blog post, we will waive the Peace of Mind Planning Session fee (a $750 value!).
Michael Lichterman is an estate planning and business planning attorney who helps families and business owners create a lasting legacy by planning for their Whole Family Wealth™. This goes beyond merely planning for finances – it’s about who your are and what’s important to you. He focuses on estate and asset protection planning for the “experienced” generation, the “sandwich generation” (caring for parents and children), doctors/physicians, nurses, lawyers, dentists, professionals with minor children, family owned businesses and pet planning. He takes the “counselor” part of attorney and counselor at law very seriously, and enjoys creating life long relationships with his clients – many of which have become great friends.