You have a lot of calls to make. Your baby was diagnosed with Down Syndrome and there are pediatric medical specialists to call, early intervention services to line up, and family members to tell. As you search for a pediatric cardiologist, a physical therapist, and try to spend time bonding with and enjoying your child, there is probably someone you should call whom you haven’t thought of yet.
An Estate Lawyer Can Help You Protect Your Child
You are working hard to give your child every opportunity to succeed in life and to live a happy, full life. You notice the many wonderful qualities about your child and how your child is so much more like other children his or her age than your child is different. You are planning for your child’s future by getting your child early intervention therapies, consulting with numerous doctors, and setting high expectations.
Yet, there are always some nagging thoughts in the back of your head:
- Who will love, understand, and accept my child if I die?
- Who will know how to take care of my child if I die?
- What will happen if my child is an adult who is still dependent on me when I die?
- What can I do now to protect my child?
These questions, while scary and unpleasant to consider, can be answered by an experienced estate planning lawyer. You can modify your will, trust, and estate documents so that you can:
- Name the guardian that is right for your minor child. It is also important to name a secondary guardian just in case the person whom you name is unable to care for your child.
- Provide for your child financially. Right now your child’s therapies and medical needs cost money. In the future, your child may or may not be able to earn an income and live independently. Your trust and estate documents can help provide for your child financially in the way that you think is appropriate.
It is important to modify your trust and estate documents correctly so that your child is cared for in the way that you expect.
You Don’t Have to Do This Alone
When you modify your estate plan to include planning for a child with a medical condition such as Down syndrome, it is very important that you not only make the right changes that will benefit your child, but that those changes be legally binding. This is not an area where you want to take a chance or make a mistake. Your child’s future is too important for that.
Has your baby been diagnosed with Down Syndrome? Find out why you should call an estate planning lawyer to help you protect your child’s future. To learn more about what you can do to plan for your child’s future, please watch our free videos and fill out our online contact form to start getting your individualized questions answered.