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Ladimer Law Blog

Estate Tax Planning

Phew! There has been a lot of buzz lately with the new Massachusetts estate tax threshold being changed from $1,000,000 to $2,000,000 – it’s been great news for many of our clients.  When you are a Trust and Estate Attorney, dealing with death and taxes are part of everyday life, we hear bad news probably […]

Estate Administration, Estate Tax Planning, Wills & Trusts

An Estate Tax Story

Trusts are legal entities, like an LLC or a corporation.  You can place assets into trust, and you can take assets out of trust.  You place assets into trust by retitling the asset.  For example, your checking account statement comes with your name and address on it.  When you go to the bank and fill […]

Estate Tax Planning, Wills & Trusts

What should you put in your trust?

Your last living parent has passed away and you are trying to come to terms with your new orphan status.  It sucks and there is no way around it.  It’s an awful part of life that everyone must go through at some point.  And then you meet with an estate planning attorney, and they tell […]

Estate Administration, Estate Tax Planning

What to expect if your parents’ estate owes an estate tax

Close up of someone working on a computer and writing notes in a notebook

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 […]

Estate Tax Planning, Probate Avoidance, Wills & Trusts

Do you have life insurance?

estate planning attorneys

Learn the benefits of placing your rental property into an LLC in Massachusetts.

Estate Tax Planning, Probate Avoidance

Why Place Your Rental Property into an LLC?

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 […]

Estate Administration, Estate Tax Planning

Getting Old Sucks

Over the years I’ve heard a lot of people talk about wills and trusts, etc. And don’t get me wrong, I think the legal terminology is really confusing, but I want to clear up some misnomers that I’ve heard in the past. Also, if this article is still confusing after reading it, I highly encourage […]

Estate Administration, Estate Tax Planning, Wills & Trusts

Common Myths About Wills and Estate Planning

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 […]

Estate Tax Planning

An Overview of the Massachusetts Estate Tax

Valentine’s Day is often thought of as a day of love shared between couples. This holiday can, however, also be viewed as a day for giving thanks and showing your family how much you love them. Many people today have not taken the time to leave clear instructions for their estates should something happen to […]

Estate Administration, Estate Tax Planning

Think Of Your Loved Ones This Valentine’s Day

Right now, the real estate market is booming, with people buying and selling left and right. If you are getting in on the action, now is a great time to get in touch with your estate planning attorney. Owning Property Is A Great Reason To Establish A Trust Buying a house is one of the […]

Estate Administration, Estate Tax Planning

Buying or Selling Real Estate? It’s Time To Talk To Your Estate Planning Attorney

As tax season comes to a close and that itch for spring cleaning comes back, it is time to get your financial house in order. The best way to do this is to meet with an estate planner and review the components of your financial house. Here are some questions to think about before making […]

Estate Administration, Estate Tax Planning

Get Your Financial House In Order!

Studies show that at least 80 percent of New Year’s Resolutions fail. But that also means that 20 percent of us are successful – read on for our four step plan that will help you to be in that successful 20 percent. Determine how long it will take you to achieve your goal Yo​ur goal may […]

Estate Administration, Estate Tax Planning

New Year Resolutions: Four Steps for Success (And Some Estate Plan Advice, Too!)

New Year Resolutions Estate Planning Graphic

Social media has opened up amazing new revenue streams for all sorts of creative people. If you’re an influencer, chances are good that you are taking care of business, and working with an attorney to protect your content and your brand. But have you thought about what happens to your brand in the event you […]

Estate Administration, Estate Tax Planning

Internet Famous? Make Sure You Have an Estate Plan

Social Media Influencer

Do an image search for “estate planning” and you’ll likely see lots of pictures of couples, some young, some older, many with kids. But singles – many without kids – have specific estate planning needs that shouldn’t be ignored. Just because you don’t have a spouse or kids doesn’t mean you don’t have plans for […]

Estate Administration, Estate Tax Planning

All The Single Ladies… Estate Planning Tips for Singles with No Kids

Estate planning for singles

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way everyone does business. While we still love to see our clients in person, we’ve found that more often, folks ask to conduct their estate planning consult over Zoom. Virtual appointments are different, for sure, but also offer a great opportunity to be more flexible. Still, it’s easy to […]

Estate Administration, Estate Tax Planning

Preparing for your COVID-Era Estate Planning Consult

Laptop on a desk showing a Zoom estate planning consult

You know it is important to plan for your future: college for the kids, retirement, and security for your family should anything happen to you. We hear all the time that the whole things seems so overwhelming – and often, people just put it off because it just seems so daunting.  But once you’ve decided […]

Estate Administration, Estate Tax Planning

Financial and Estate Planners: An Important Partnership

Google the phrase “Estate Planning Mistakes” and you’ll see pages of results. Seems like attorneys and financial planners are always telling their clients how to avoid one mistake or another as they put together their estate plan. But in the end, the single biggest mistake you can make is all about what you DON’T do. […]

Estate Administration, Estate Tax Planning, Probate Avoidance

The Number One Estate Planning Mistake

Avoid Common Estate Planning Mistakes - A woman wearing flowered shirt, signing documents

While married couples have different priorities than their single counterparts, one thing is certain: anyone – whether they have a family or not – needs to think about estate tax planning. In fact, planning one’s own estate taxes as a single person might be more important than it is for a married couple. Why? As […]

Estate Administration, Estate Tax Planning

Do I Need to Think About Estate Tax Planning as a Single Person?

You’ve often heard that when it comes to gift-giving, it’s the thought that counts. Unsurprisingly, the IRS doesn’t agree. To them, all that matters is that gifts are properly reported and taxed. Gift taxes are only required on gifts of significant financial value, so many people will never have to pay them. But if your […]

Estate Administration, Estate Tax Planning

What to Know About Lifetime Gifts

Lifetime gifts

A new administration generally means new tax laws. So in these last few months, I’ve heard from many clients with questions about how the Biden presidency will affect them. I was recently asked about the potential repeal of the policy that allows step-up in basis, and wanted to share some thoughts with anyone who’s concerned […]

Estate Tax Planning

What to Know About President Biden’s Proposed Repeal of Step-Up in Basis

step-up in basis