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Attorney John A. D'Onofrio

President of GSLF

JEFFERSON AWARD WINNER

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February 25, 2009 03:48 PM Eastern Daylight Time 

PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

The Good Shepherd Legal Foundation (GSLF) today announces it has launched services to begin providing complimentary Special Needs Trusts and estate planning for families of special needs children, according to Attorney John A. D’Onofrio, president, GSLF.

“Our goal at GSLF is to serve families of special needs children, one family at a time and at no cost to the family,” said D’Onofrio. “It’s critically important for families to know their children are taken care of for the long-term.”

A Special Needs Trust does not impair the child’s continued eligibility for the receipt of government benefits, such as Supplementary Security Income, Medicaid, subsidized housing and/or food stamps.

More than 41 million Americans – almost 15% of the population age 5 and older – have some type of disability, according to 2007 Census survey data. Some 6.2% of children ages 5 to 15, or 2.8 million kids, have disabilities, the Census Bureau found. And individuals with disabilities are living longer than ever before. That means many disabled children will outlive the parents who support them.

“I can’t tell you how many parents or caregivers of a special needs child tell me it's not the love that runs out, just the stamina," said D’Onofrio, who is recognized by the Academy of Special Needs Planners to provide special needs trusts. “A parent or caregiver cannot be ‘super-human’ all of the time - even the most dedicated need a break from 24-hour caring.”

A Special Needs Trust preserves government benefits, prevents court control of the Trust’s assets and reduces or eliminates estate taxes of the person who establishes the Trust. According to D’Onofrio, one of the most frequently asked questions by parents of children with special needs is "What is going to happen to my child when I become incapacitated or die?"

“We launched the Good Shepherd Legal Foundation because parents and caregivers need to know with confidence that their children are being taken care of properly and with dignity,” said D’Onofrio.