• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Zimmer Law Firm logo Zimmer Law Firm
  • Our Firm
    • About Our Firm
    • Attorney and Staff Profiles
    • Communities We Serve
      • Butler County
        • Fairfield
        • Hamilton
        • West Chester
      • Clermont County
        • Milford
      • Hamilton County
        • Blue Ash
        • Cincinnati
        • Loveland
        • Montgomery
        • Sharonville
      • Warren County
        • Mason
    • Our Client Care Program
  • Services
    • Estate Planning
    • Incapacity Planning
    • IRA Inheritance Planning
    • Legacy Wealth Planning
    • LGBTQ Estate Planning
    • Medicaid Planning and Elder Law
    • SECURE Act
    • Special Needs Planning
    • Young Adult Protection Plan
  • Live Events
    • Webinars
  • Resources
    • DocuBank
    • Elder Law Resources
      • Blue Ash
      • Cincinnati
      • Elder Law & Medicaid Definitions
      • Fairfield
      • Hamilton
      • Loveland
      • Montgomery
      • Sharonville
      • West Chester
    • Estate Planning Resources
      • Estate & Gift Tax Figures
      • Estate Planning Checkup
      • Estate Planning Definitions
      • Free Estate Planning Checklist
      • Incapacity Planning Definitions
      • Is Your Estate Plan Outdated?
      • Legacy Planning Definitions
      • Top 10 Estate Planning Techniques
    • FAQs
    • Pre Consultation Form
    • Probate Resources
      • Blue Ash
      • Cincinnati
      • Hamilton
      • Loveland
      • Mason
      • Milford
      • Probate Checklist
      • Sharonville
      • Trust Administration & Probate Definitions
      • West Chester
    • Presentations
  • Blog
  • Reviews
  • Contact

Zimmer Law Firm

Estate Planning & Elder Law Attorneys

513.721.1513
Request a Free Consultation
Request a Free Consultation

Google initial with star next to it

  • Our Firm
    • About Our Firm
    • Attorney and Staff Profiles
    • Communities We Serve
      • Butler County
        • Fairfield
        • Hamilton
        • West Chester
      • Clermont County
        • Milford
      • Hamilton County
        • Blue Ash
        • Cincinnati
        • Loveland
        • Montgomery
        • Sharonville
      • Warren County
        • Mason
    • Our Client Care Program
  • Services
    • Estate Planning
    • Incapacity Planning
    • IRA Inheritance Planning
    • Legacy Wealth Planning
    • LGBTQ Estate Planning
    • Medicaid Planning and Elder Law
    • SECURE Act
    • Special Needs Planning
    • Young Adult Protection Plan
  • Live Events
    • Webinars
  • Resources
    • DocuBank
    • Elder Law Resources
      • Blue Ash
      • Cincinnati
      • Elder Law & Medicaid Definitions
      • Fairfield
      • Hamilton
      • Loveland
      • Montgomery
      • Sharonville
      • West Chester
    • Estate Planning Resources
      • Estate & Gift Tax Figures
      • Estate Planning Checkup
      • Estate Planning Definitions
      • Free Estate Planning Checklist
      • Incapacity Planning Definitions
      • Is Your Estate Plan Outdated?
      • Legacy Planning Definitions
      • Top 10 Estate Planning Techniques
    • FAQs
    • Pre Consultation Form
    • Probate Resources
      • Blue Ash
      • Cincinnati
      • Hamilton
      • Loveland
      • Mason
      • Milford
      • Probate Checklist
      • Sharonville
      • Trust Administration & Probate Definitions
      • West Chester
    • Presentations
  • Blog
  • Reviews
  • Contact

Home Our Blog Ohio Special Needs Trust: An Explanation

Ohio Special Needs Trust: An Explanation

By Barry Zimmer on November 20th, 2014 in Estate Planning, Special Needs Planning

ohio special needs trustThere are numerous different legal devices that are used in the field of estate planning, and today we would like to look at the vehicle called a Special Needs Trust.

It is important to consider the life circumstances of the people who are on your inheritance list when you are planning your estate. You could mean well but inadvertently do more harm than good if you don’t go about things in the optimal manner.

For example, suppose you have someone in the family who is not good at handling money. If you were to leave this person a direct inheritance he or she may burn through this inheritance much too quickly. In addition to this possibility, creditors may seek to attach the resources. You were attempting to provide a financial underpinning for someone that you love. However, because you didn’t go about it the right way unintended negative consequences happen.

This is one type of circumstance that calls for some advanced estate planning techniques. Providing for someone who has a disability is another situation that requires specialized attention.

The Value of a Special Needs Trust in Ohio

Providing assets for someone with special needs is a delicate endeavor. A significant percentage of people who have disabilities are enrolled in the Medicaid program. Medicaid is a government program that provides access to health care for people who cannot afford to pay these expenses.

The program has installed strict regulations with regard to the assets that applicants are allowed to possess. If you have more than $2000 in assets that are considered to be countable by the program you cannot participate. Those who need assistance who have assets that exceed $2000 often “spend down” and divest themselves of financial resources in an effort to become eligible.

If you name someone in your Will who is relying on Medicaid benefits he or she could lose these benefits as a result of this influx of money. However, if you create a Special Needs Trust for the benefit of this individual, assets would be available for certain purposes, but benefit eligibility would not be jeopardized.

This is why you should certainly consider a Special Needs Trust if you want to set aside resources for the benefit of someone that you love who has a disability.

This is a very brief, surface explanation. Our firm has helped many people here in the greater Cincinnati area provide for family members who have disabilities. A Special Needs Trust can make an enormous difference in the life of someone who has limited financial resources but a great deal of financial need.

We offer consultations to our neighbors in the community, and we invite you to contact us if you would like to schedule an appointment.

 

Primary Sidebar

Request a Free Consultation

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

What Our Clients Say

Some years ago, Barry Zimmer suggested we do a basic estate plan for our son when he went to college. We had no idea how important it would be! In our son's freshman year, he ended up in the hospital, and we were able to get crucial information about his condition because we had a health care ...

Read All Testimonials

Zimmer Law Firm

9825 Kenwood Road
Suite 201
Cincinnati, OH 45242

Copyright © 2025 Zimmer Law Firm
Disclaimer Privacy Policy

 

Make a Payment