Section 4: Final words
Think carefully about what you want for your son or daughter or other family member with disability.
Work out your vision and start to plan how to set it up.
Get advice and carefully consider the implications in your situation.
Look at tax and income support issues in the overall context of what is good estate planning for your son or daughter or other family member with disability.
Consider whether a special disability trust will be useful in your situation, or not.
Make decisions and implement them.
About the authors
Stephen Booth
Stephen Booth is a partner in law firm Coleman & Greig. He has over 20 years experience in advising parents of people with disability, particularly intellectual disabilities, about estate planning and wills, and on other legal issues relating to disabilities. He has spoken to many parents’ groups and disability organisations and has been involved with the Intellectual Disability Rights Service (NSW) and citizen advocacy organisations.
Stephen has also authored a guide to will-making for parents of people with intellectual disabilities, and has written chapters for a lawyers manual giving guidance to lawyers on this area of legal practice.
Allan Swan
In his professional life, Allan divides his time between being:
- a principal in law firm Moores Legal, practising in the areas of estate
- planning and structuring;
- a presenter for professional organisations, professional practices and
- community groups; and
- an author and lecturer in estate planning, trusts and related subjects.
His interest in estate planning initially arose out of family experience (including family farms) and his personal involvement with families with intellectually disabled children - Allan’s late sister, Janice was born with severe physical and intellectual disabilities and his sister-in-law, Heather has a series of hurdles to contend with throughout her life, including very low vision and relatively severe autism.