Special needs trusts
First-party and third-party drafting and review, with attention to benefits-sensitive provisions, trustee authority, funding, and remainder planning.
Trust and estate planning
Special needs trust drafting built around the source of the funds
Careful drafting begins with the assets, the beneficiary, the trustee, and the long-term plan. Shintia Z. Riva, Esq. drafts and reviews special needs, revocable, and irrevocable trusts.
Admitted in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Currently practicing through Law Offices of Spadea & Associates, LLC.
First-party and third-party special needs trusts
Revocable and irrevocable trust drafting and review
Funding and beneficiary-designation coordination
Why the details matter
The document and the funding plan need to work together
A trust should not be assembled by changing names in a form. The drafting analysis may include who owns each asset, which benefits are involved, trustee discretion, distribution standards, Medicaid reimbursement, remainder beneficiaries, reporting, tax considerations, and coordination with other estate-planning documents.
For special needs trusts, the source of the money is especially important. Beneficiary-owned assets and third-party assets may require different trust terms, accounts, and administration.
Read the first-party and third-party trust guideDrafting focus
Trust work shaped around the actual plan
Revocable trusts
Drafting and review focused on lifetime management, successor trustees, distribution instructions, and coordination with the broader estate plan.
Irrevocable trusts
Careful review of the intended purpose, retained powers, trustee duties, beneficiaries, funding, administration, and related planning documents.
A practical starting point
Three questions guide the first review
- Whose assets are involved?Ownership and expected funding help determine which trust structure and rules may apply.
- Who needs the plan to work?The beneficiary's circumstances, public benefits, support needs, and family goals shape the drafting.
- What must be coordinated?Wills, accounts, insurance, retirement assets, beneficiary designations, and trustee administration must point in the same direction.
Common questions
Before the drafting begins
What is the difference between a first-party and third-party trust?
A first-party special needs trust generally holds assets belonging to the beneficiary. A third-party trust is funded with assets belonging to someone else. The source of the funds affects drafting, administration, Medicaid reimbursement, and remainder planning.
Can an existing trust be reviewed?
Yes. A review may focus on the trust terms, funding plan, beneficiary designations, trustee powers, and coordination with related estate-planning documents.
What information helps at the beginning?
Useful starting information includes who owns the assets, who the intended beneficiaries are, which public benefits may be involved, who may serve as trustee, and what other wills, accounts, insurance policies, or beneficiary designations need coordination.
Does submitting the website form create an attorney-client relationship?
No. Legal representation, if available, is provided through Law Offices of Spadea & Associates, LLC and requires firm intake, conflict review, jurisdictional review, and a written engagement agreement.
Next step
Ask a general, non-confidential question
Appropriate inquiries are routed privately for firm intake. Do not submit confidential or time-sensitive information through this website.
Call (610) 521-0604When calling Law Offices of Spadea & Associates, LLC, ask for Shintia Z. Riva, Esq.
Private inquiry form
A response email is required so the inquiry can be answered privately.