How To Protect Children In Estate Planning – Part ONE
To protect a child who struggles with money or has a disability, estate planning attorney Andrew Dósa uses a trust inside the family trust. A successor trustee releases funds in installments—or pays bills directly—so the inheritance lasts, and a special needs trust preserves a disabled child's public benefits. He practices in California and Washington.
Excerpt summaries from the video and transcripts · how we make them
Answered by Andrew Dósa · Tacoma, WA and Oakland, CA
Highlights
— how children who manage life differently reshape the plan
— the family that left most to the two children who needed it more
— the installment distribution plan for a struggling child
— using a successor trustee or trusted relative to manage the money
— the special-needs trust that preserves a disabled child's benefits
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you protect a child who struggles with money?
By using a trust inside the family trust, where a successor trustee releases funds in installments or pays bills directly so the inheritance lasts.
How does a child's situation change the plan?
Children who manage life differently—whether financially or otherwise—reshape how the plan distributes assets, so it fits each child's real circumstances.
Can you divide an estate unequally among children?
Yes. In one family, the parents left most to the two children who needed it more, tailoring the split to need rather than treating equal as automatic.
How do installment distributions work?
A distribution plan releases money in installments—or has a successor trustee or trusted relative manage it directly—so a struggling child doesn't receive everything at once.
How do you provide for a disabled child?
A special-needs trust holds the inheritance so it preserves the child's public benefits while still providing for their needs.
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