If you have life insurance, you should also have an estate plan. One of the first things people do when they have a baby or purchase a home is get life insurance. Life insurance can cover significant expenses if you pass away and give you peace of mind when thinking about an unexpected death. But […]
Many times, clients will come to me when their parents pass away and are surprised that we must go through the probate process even though they had done their estate plan, established a trust, and even funded the trust with assets. This came up very recently with a client whose mother had passed away in […]
You don’t need an estate plan – said no estate planning attorney ever. Estate plans aren’t about how much money you have, but about making an easy transition of anything you own to the rightful owners when you pass. Practically speaking, an estate plan is about making it easy for your kids, family members, or […]
This spring my study partner from law school passed away from pancreatic cancer. After college, I worked for three years before starting law school. I got engaged in November of my first year. I lived at home with my parents and commuted to Boston for School. Everyone else seemed to be right out of college. […]
About a year ago, my office implemented a Continuing Client Care program (C3 for short). The purpose of this was to continue to be of service to our clients. The program includes access to an app on your phone for your documents (who wants to carry around paper when traveling?), discounts on updates to Wills […]
You’ve done your taxes, now it’s time to get your estate plan done! Ugh, tax season is the worst! It’s so much work for the average person. You must compile so many different documents into one place, fill out endless questions from your accountant, and then more likely than not, write a big check or prepare […]
Getting old sucks. There is no way around it. We can eat as many antioxidants and exercise every day, but the fact of the matter is we all are getting older every day. And we all age at different rates. In the modern days, women have statistically outlived men. Traditionally, the men took care of […]
Our number one goal is to educate our clients about the probate process, what it is, how it works, and why people want to avoid it — us attorneys included! In Massachusetts, when someone dies, their assets (bank accounts, real estate, retirement, investments, online accounts) need to “go somewhere.” Here is the background: According to […]
Whether or not your 18-year-old is college-bound, military-bound, or career bound, they are all considered adults in the eyes of the law. What does this mean? It means that you, as their parent, no longer have the right to sit in on doctor appointments, get information about their health or well-being over the phone or […]
Here’s a very basic overview of the Massachusetts Estate Tax This may or may not come as a shock to you, but Massachusetts has one of the lowest estate tax thresholds in the United States. We aren’t called Taxachusetts for nothing! Here is an over simplified explanation of whether or not your family will owe […]