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Special Needs Trusts & Benefits Planning • Located in Michigan • Serving Families Nationwide Through Co-Counsel
A plan for your child's life — not just a trust for your money.

Special needs planning that protects your child's SSI and Medicaid — and keeps working after you're gone. We serve families across the country — directly here in Michigan, and through co-counsel attorneys in your own state.

Founded by Michele P. Fuller, Esq. — a mom of four, including a child with special needs, and a special needs attorney for nearly 30 years.

Choose your path below

THIS IS ME

I'm a parent or guardian

Protect your child's benefits, plan for an inheritance, and put a team in place to run the trust for life.

Start here — planning for families →
THIS IS ME

I'm an attorney

Co-counsel on special needs cases through the Fuller Framework™ — keep your client, share the fee, lose the malpractice risk.

Start here — co-counsel →

Turning 18 is a big trigger — and I’m sure you already know about the 18 trigger.
Is your child turning 18?

At 18 you lose automatic legal authority, your child can newly qualify for SSI, and guardianship deadlines start. Know what to do before the birthday.

Get the “Turning 18” guide →

One firm, focused only on special needs.
Special needs planning for families — in every state, not just ours.

Fuller Special Needs Law builds special needs trusts and lifetime benefit plans that protect SSI and Medicaid, and administers them for life through Advocacy, Inc. We work directly with families from our Michigan office and with families in every other state through a network of co-counsel attorneys — so a family anywhere in the country can get a Fuller plan.

Special needs planning for families → Co-counsel for attorneys → Guardianship & turning 18 → Planning by diagnosis → About Michele Fuller →

Frequently Asked Questions

Will an inheritance affect my child's SSI or Medicaid?

Yes — often right away. SSI and Medicaid limit your child to $2,000 in countable assets, so money left directly to your child can push them over the limit and cause benefits to be interrupted within days. A properly drafted special needs trust lets an inheritance help your child without counting against that limit.

Do you work with families outside of Michigan?

Yes. Michele Fuller is licensed in Michigan and works directly with Michigan families; for families in other states, she co-counsels with estate planning and trust attorneys licensed in your state, so you get a Fuller Plan™ wherever you are. Your plan reflects both the federal SSI rules and your own state’s Medicaid specifics.

Do I need a lawyer when my child turns 18?

Usually yes — and often before the birthday. At 18, your child becomes a legal adult, so you lose the automatic authority to make their medical, financial, and educational decisions, and your child may newly qualify for SSI on their own. Fuller Special Needs Law can help you decide whether guardianship, a power of attorney, or a lighter option is right for you — and make sure it’s filed on time.

Can another attorney serve as co-counsel on a special needs case with your firm?

Yes. Estate planning and elder law attorneys co-counsel with Michele through the Fuller Framework™ to handle the special needs trust — so your client stays your client. You keep the relationship and share in the fee, without taking on the malpractice exposure of drafting an SNT in an unfamiliar area.

Not sure where to start? Take the 2-minute Fuller Life Scorecard →
A parent and child with special needs walking together outdoors

Special Needs Trusts & Benefits Planning • Located in Michigan • Serving Families Nationwide Through Co-Counsel
A plan for your child's life — not just a trust for your money.

Special needs planning that protects your child's SSI and Medicaid — and keeps working after you're gone. We serve families across the country — directly here in Michigan, and through co-counsel attorneys in your own state.

Founded by Michele P. Fuller, Esq. — a mom of four, including a child with special needs, and a special needs attorney for nearly 30 years.

Choose your path below

THIS IS ME

I'm a parent or guardian

Protect your child's benefits, plan for an inheritance, and put a team in place to run the trust for life.

Start here — planning for families →
THIS IS ME

I'm an attorney

Co-counsel on special needs cases through the Fuller Framework™ — keep your client, share the fee, lose the malpractice risk.

Start here — co-counsel →

Turning 18 is a big trigger — and I’m sure you already know about the 18 trigger.
Is your child turning 18?

At 18 you lose automatic legal authority, your child can newly qualify for SSI, and guardianship deadlines start. Know what to do before the birthday.

Get the “Turning 18” guide →

One firm, focused only on special needs.
Special needs planning for families — in every state, not just ours.

Fuller Special Needs Law builds special needs trusts and lifetime benefit plans that protect SSI and Medicaid, and administers them for life through Advocacy, Inc. We work directly with families from our Michigan office and with families in every other state through a network of co-counsel attorneys — so a family anywhere in the country can get a Fuller plan.

Special needs planning for families → Co-counsel for attorneys → Guardianship & turning 18 → Planning by diagnosis → About Michele Fuller →

Frequently Asked Questions

Will an inheritance affect my child's SSI or Medicaid?

Yes — often right away. SSI and Medicaid limit your child to $2,000 in countable assets, so money left directly to your child can push them over the limit and cause benefits to be interrupted within days. A properly drafted special needs trust lets an inheritance help your child without counting against that limit.

Do you work with families outside of Michigan?

Yes. Michele Fuller is licensed in Michigan and works directly with Michigan families; for families in other states, she co-counsels with estate planning and trust attorneys licensed in your state, so you get a Fuller Plan™ wherever you are. Your plan reflects both the federal SSI rules and your own state’s Medicaid specifics.

Do I need a lawyer when my child turns 18?

Usually yes — and often before the birthday. At 18, your child becomes a legal adult, so you lose the automatic authority to make their medical, financial, and educational decisions, and your child may newly qualify for SSI on their own. Fuller Special Needs Law can help you decide whether guardianship, a power of attorney, or a lighter option is right for you — and make sure it’s filed on time.

Can another attorney serve as co-counsel on a special needs case with your firm?

Yes. Estate planning and elder law attorneys co-counsel with Michele through the Fuller Framework™ to handle the special needs trust — so your client stays your client. You keep the relationship and share in the fee, without taking on the malpractice exposure of drafting an SNT in an unfamiliar area.

Not sure where to start? Take the 2-minute Fuller Life Scorecard →

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