Special Needs Trusts - Grand Traverse County Probate Court
Grand Traverse County Special Needs Trust Requirements
Because Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medicaid are means-tested government benefits, assets or income owned or controlled by a disabled person will affect that person’s eligibility for those public benefits.
A first party self-settled special needs trust (SNT) provides a mechanism for the disabled beneficiary’s assets or resources to be held in trust for his or her benefit without disqualifying the beneficiary from eligibility for the means-tested government benefits.
These special needs trusts are subject to federal assets counting rules, the Michigan Trust Code and the supervision of the Probate Court. The Probate Court has full authority to order the inclusion of any trust provision reasonably calculated to be in the best interests of the disabled beneficiary and protect the disabled beneficiary’s assets.
First Person self-settled special needs trust:
To protect the disabled individual and the assets placed in trust, the Grand Traverse County Probate Court requires the following procedures and documents for the creation of a first person self-settled special needs trust:
Court appointment of a Guardian ad Litem (GAL) - Payment for GAL services to be provided from the trust
Copy of the trust document or joinder agreement
Copy of the proposed order creating the trust
Copy of the complete criminal history of the proposed trustee
Bond in the amount of assets held in trust
Requirements:
All federal requirements for the creation of a special needs trust shall be established or included in the trust document, including but not limited to:
Proof of disability
Proof that the trust assets are owned by the beneficiary
Proof that the beneficiary is under the age of 65 (d4A trusts only)
Provision that the individual is the sole beneficiary of the trust
Proof that the trust was established by a parent, grandparent, guardian, conservator, the disabled individual if competent and creating a d4C trust, or the court
Provision that trust distributions are discretionary
Provision that the trust is irrevocable
Provision requiring Medicaid payback or residual distribution to the pooled (d4C) trust
Provision that no public assistance payments may be added to the trust corpus.
Additional Provisions:
To further protect the disabled individual, the following provisions shall also be included in the trust document:
Michigan law controls the establishment, administration, construction and modification of the trust
Trust administration remains in Grand Traverse County
Annual accountings served on all interested persons and approved by the court
The application of the Prudent Investment Rule to all investments
No modification of the trust without a court order
No gifting
No loans
No purchase of real estate without a court order
No purchase of a vehicle without a court order
No purchase of life insurance without a court order
No encumbering trust assets without a court order
No vacation expenditures for any person other than beneficiary without a court order prior to travel
No appointment of a successor trustee without a court order
Residuary trust beneficiaries shall be the individual's heirs at law (unless provided otherwise by court order)
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