Based upon our experience, this is the most frequently asked question.
Many planners offer a calculator to determine a dollar goal for your planning, implying when you have reached that number, you are all set. We believe each family has unique circumstances that drive planning decisions. Knowing how much you will need is determined by a number of factors including your child’s abilities and support requirements, eligibility for government benefits, and planning for your own financial independence in retirement, to name but a few.
We plan for families’ lives while the parents are alive. Although making sure there are resources in place for when a parent is no longer here and the support needs to go on is an important part of planning, it is also a critical to consider and prioritize goals for the family as a whole.
We help create a strategy for families’ lives when the parents are gone. Planning for a family member with disabilities lifetime needs goes beyond the financial or legal aspects of estate planning. It is important to create a strategy with all the proper checks and balances in place, as well as identifying and preparing those who will ultimately carry on. We call this strategy a Team to Carry On™, and you can read more about building your team here. Our multi- generational team is a consistent, devoted resource for parents, their adult children and other members of their Team to Carry On™.
It takes more than money to plan a full life. It takes friendships, employment, housing and community.