Why our clients choose Estate Planning: "I want to control my property while I'm alive; take care of myself or my loved ones if one of us becomes disabled; and give what I have, to whom I want, the way I want, and when I want. Furthermore, if I can, I want to save every last tax dollar, professional fee, and court cost legally possible."

When should you consider Estate Planning?

The firm offers personalized Estate Planning and Asset Protection; Will and Trust and Estates; Trust Administration Probate and Estates; and Guardianships.

Estate Planning and Asset Protection:
Every family is unique and no two situations are the same. We will create a plan that accurately reflects and properly implements your goals specifically tailored just for you and your family.

Living Trust Packages include the Living Trust, Durable Powers of Attorney, Health Care Directives, and Certificate of Trust. Our clients receive a complete Estate Portfolio Binder containing all documents. Our firm will complete all transactions necessary to transfer all Assets into the named Trust.

It all begins with a complimentary consultation, with an up-front guaranteed package price. Give us a call today to set up an appointment.

Click here for a link to the Estate Planning Worksheet.

Wills:
Will packages include Durable Powers of Attorney, Advance Directives for Health Care, and related medical authorizations. Please note that assets passing to beneficiaries under a Will do NOT avoid probate.

Probate and Estates:
The Firm is dedicated to helping our clients avoid probate through the use of a Living Trust or other Estate Planning devises. However, there are times when a loved one passes away without having completed any estate planning. In those situations, our Firm can assist the executor or family member with the legal steps necessary to complete the Probate and transfer of assets. The traditional term "Probate" refers to the legal process of administering the estate of a deceased person by resolving all claims and distributing the deceased person's property under the valid will, if one exists.

Guardianships:
This area involves court supervised management of the person and/or property of either a minor child or an incapacitated adult. The law provides for specific procedures concerning this process, and our firm possesses the expertise to help our clients comply with the requirements of guardianship laws.

Supplemental Needs Trusts

We know that government programs - in the form of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medicaid - are very important for people with disabilities in need, as they provide cash benefits as well as important medical coverage and long- term supports and services. The income level and financial resources of an individual with a disability, or family who is applying on behalf of their child with a disability, must not exceed a certain level in order qualify for these government benefits. Benefit recipients are allowed to retain only a limited amount of assets, with some exceptions. A person with a disability receiving SSI, who accumulates any significant cash resources, may lose SSI and, possibly, Medicaid.

However, government cash benefits provide only for the bare necessities: food, shelter, and clothing. They amount to less than a federal poverty level income. As we all know, there are more things and activities beyond these basics that add quality to life. For a parent planning for the future of their child with special needs, this poses a problem.

When parents are able to care for their child, they provide the extras beyond the bare necessities to make their child's life comfortable. But who will provide those resources when they are not there to do so?

If parents leave any assets to their child who is receiving government benefits, they run the risk of disqualifying the child from receiving government benefits. If they leave assets to another family member or other person for the care of the child, they open other avenues of risk where the child might not get the benefit of those assets, such as divorce, bankruptcy, lawsuits, and financial mismanagement.

Fortunately, the government established rules allowing assets to be held in trust for a recipient of SSI and Medicaid, as long as certain parameters are met.

These trusts, called Supplemental Needs Trusts or Special Needs Trusts (SNTs), preserve government benefit eligibility and leave assets that will meet the supplemental needs of the person with a disability - those that go beyond food, shelter, and clothing and the medical and long term supports and services of Medicaid.

Contact us today for a free telephone consultation:

Rainey Law, LLP
Attorneys and Counselors At Law

1601 NW Exwy, Suite 600 Oklahoma City, OK 73118

(405) 753-1500 Tel
(405) 753-1501 Fax

www.OkcLaw.com