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October is National “Special Needs” Law Month!

October 20, 2021 by Attorney Maria Baler

October is Special Needs Law Month, the purpose of which is to to educate those with special needs, their families, and caregivers about ways to protect their rights and advocate for those with special needs.

For estate planning attorneys, it is an opportunity for us to remind those who have a loved one with special needs, of the importance of planning for that individual’s future. In particular, parents of special needs children should ensure that their estate plan will make appropriate provisions for the special needs child when they are no longer living, and for any assets that child will inherit, to ensure the inheritance does not adversely impact any benefits the child may be receiving.

The attorneys at Samuel, Sayward & Baler are active members in the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (MassNAELA). Established in 1987, NAELA is a non-profit association whose mission is to be the premier provider of legal advocacy, guidance and services to attorneys to help them enhance the lives of individuals with special needs, and individuals as they age. MassNAELA’s mission is to be a leader in both elder law and special needs law in Massachusetts. In celebration of Special Needs Law Month, MassNAELA has created the Special Needs Advocacy Toolkit to help individuals and families promote the rights and well-beings of those with special needs.

At Samuel, Sayward & Baler, we assist clients who have family members with special needs, in designing an estate plan that will ensure their family member is provided for in ways that protect eligibility for public benefits, and address other important issues. We also work with disabled individuals to ensure they have appropriate planning documents in place to allow loved ones to assist them as needed, and to manage their own assets if appropriate. Special needs trusts, powers of attorney, health care proxies and HIPAA authorizations, are all important documents that we discuss and implement for these clients. If you have questions about the legal documents that you or a family member with disabilities should have in place, please make an appointment to meet with one of our attorneys.

Better Late than Never: What Happens When You Wait More than 3 Years to Administer an Estate

October 19, 2021 by SSB

Dealing with the death of a loved one is often a stressful, emotionally draining experience. In the midst of grieving the loss, going through the steps necessary to clear title on Aunt Jenny’s house or ensure that dad’s checking account is taken out of his name is often the last thing a person wants to deal with. Frequently, once the grief is less acute, loved ones will circle back and take the necessary estate settlement steps to ensure that everything is out of the decedent’s individual name, but occasionally this does not happen and assets are instead allowed to linger on in the decedent’s name.

In such situations, there is usually a “triggering event” that causes someone to realize that no action was taken. Maybe everyone was content to let cousin Becky live in grandpa’s house (which he held in his individual name) for a while after his death, but now that she’s moved out everyone agrees it’s time to sell, or maybe Mark decided to check the state’s unclaimed property site (www.FindMassMoney.com, FYI) and on a lark entered mom’s information only to discover mom had a bank account in her individual name that everyone forgot about. Whatever the reason, it’s now been several years since the person died and the question on the table is “What can be done to get access to this asset?”

If the loved one died prior to March 31, 2012, then the answer is likely simple: file for a standard probate proceeding just as would be done if the death occurred yesterday. This is because under the law in effect through March 30, 2012, probate proceedings could be initiated in Massachusetts up to 50 years after a person died. However, on March 31, 2012, the Massachusetts Uniform Probate Code went into effect, substantially overhauling the laws governing probate proceedings in Massachusetts. Among the changes was a drastic shortening of the time limit to initiate standard probate proceedings for those who die on or after that date – from 50 years after death to just three years after death.

Fortunately, this 3-year deadline does not mean that grandpa’s house is destined to stay in his name forevermore, unable to be sold or conveyed ever again. Nor does this deadline mean that the state gets a windfall in the form of mom’s unclaimed checking account. Although the deadline to file standard probate proceedings is three years after death, the law permits a special type of probate proceeding, known as a “late and limited” proceeding, to be filed more than three years after death.

As can be gleaned from its name, a late and limited probate proceeding is, well, limited in its scope. Unlike a standard probate proceeding, where the Personal Representative (formerly known as the Executor) has broad authority to deal with the decedent’s probate assets, including taking possession of them and, in some circumstances, selling them, a Personal Representative in a late and limited proceeding only has the authority necessary to confirm that the assets held in the probate estate are now owned by the decedent’s heirs (if the decedent died without a will) or devisees (if the decedent died with a will).

As an example, a standard Personal Representative generally has the authority to unilaterally sell real estate without the consent of the estate’s beneficiaries. A late and limited Personal Representative, on the other hand, generally cannot sell real estate. Instead, the late and limited Personal Representative would confirm that the real estate is now owned by the beneficiary(ies) of the estate, and the beneficiary(ies) would then have to sell the property.

Of course, the best option is to establish an estate plan ahead of time that avoids probate and having the deceased’s estate go through the probate process at all. If that has not been done, and the deceased owned assets in his or her individual name at the time of death, it is generally better to initiate probate proceedings within three years of death. If that’s not possible, worry not, late and limited proceedings are still available to gain access to assets when necessary.

October, 2021

Ask SSB

October 15, 2021 by Attorney Maria Baler

Q: What is probate and why does everyone want to avoid it?

A: Probate is the court process of changing the title on an asset when someone passes away. Real estate, bank accounts, and investment accounts owned in a person’s individual name at death which do not have a beneficiary designated are examples of assets that need to be probated. The term ‘probate’ is often used to describe the process of administering someone’s estate after death. This typically involves marshalling the probate assets, paying debts, taxes and expenses, and ultimately distributing the estate assets to the beneficiaries entitled to receive them.

Delays, costs, aggravation, and loss of privacy are all good reasons to avoid probate. If an asset needs to be probated, that means no one will have access to that asset until the court has allowed the probate petition and a Personal Representative has been appointed. A delay in being able to access money to pay expenses such as funeral costs or to make mortgage payments creates a difficult and aggravating situation for surviving family members who are trying to manage matters after someone has passed away. In Massachusetts, the probate court system is currently in serious disarray and delays are significant. Probate can be costly, with attorney fees and court filing fees that must be paid. Finally, probate is a public proceeding meaning that anyone who wants to snoop into the business of a decedent’s probate estate has the opportunity to do so.

Avoiding probate is relatively easy. For example, if you own assets jointly with your spouse or child, the asset will pass automatically and entirely to the survivor when the first joint owner passes away; no probate would be needed. Assets that have a named beneficiary to receive them also avoid probate provided the named beneficiary survives the owner of the asset. IRAs and other retirement accounts, life insurance, and annuities typically fall into this category. Assets that are titled in the name of a Trust also avoid probate. While owning assets jointly with another person is a way to avoid the need to probate the assets there are some downsides to joint ownership that should considered before adding someone else as an owner on your account.

Probate: Haunting Your Family from Beyond the Grave – Webinar October 28th 6PM

October 13, 2021 by Attorney Abigail V. Poole

Grab your coziest blanket and mulled spiced cider to settle in for a spooky presentation about probates of the deceased that haunted their families from beyond the grave! Join Attorney Abigail V. Poole for our next Smart Counsel webinar where she will discuss probate and non-probate assets, the different types of probate, the process of probate, and how to avoid probate so that your family is not haunted by your ghostly presence forevermore.

In addition to hearing from her, attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions.

Join us virtually for our next Smart Counsel presentation on Thursday, October 28, 2021, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Contact Victoria Ung at (781) 461-1020 or ung@ssbllc.com to reserve a spot for you and a friend.

The program is free but registration is required.

Suzanne R. Sayward
Maria C. Baler
Abigail V. Poole

Samuel, Sayward & Baler LLC Supports Westwood Council on Aging with Dining Out Gift Basket

October 7, 2021 by Attorney Maria Baler

Samuel, Sayward & Baler LLC will be participating in the Westwood Council on Aging’s Fifth Annual Holiday Raffle, which begins today and runs through mid December. Each basket is worth over $250. Tickets are $1 each or $10 for 12 tickets and can be bought at the Westwood Senior Center.

Samuel, Sayward & Baler LLC is donating a “Dining Out Gift Basket” made up of $50 Gift Cards to Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza, Conrad’s, One Bistro, The Chateau & The Toast Office. Valued at $250. 100% of the donations will be used to underwrite Westwood Council on Aging programs and to help seniors in Westwood.

Five Things to Consider When Choosing a Guardian for Minor Children

October 5, 2021 by Attorney Maria Baler

By Attorney Maria C. Baler

For parents of minor children, one of the most important reasons to create a Will is to name a guardian for your children if you pass away while they are still under the age of 18. A guardian is a person who will be appointed by the Court to have custody of your children. The guardian is the person who will make decisions regarding where your children live, where they go to school, and their health care. If one parent dies, there is no need to have a guardian appointed where there is a surviving parent unless that parent is unfit. However, if both of a minor child’s parents are deceased, a guardian needs to be appointed. Here are some things to consider when deciding who to name as guardian for your children

1. No One Will Be as Good as You

Choosing a guardian for your minor children is hard. No parent wants to imagine a world where they are not there for their children as they grow up. However, it is a parent’s job to keep their kids safe and well cared for, and naming a guardian is part of being a parent. It is your one opportunity to choose the person who will raise your children if you can’t. The first thing to remember is that no one will do as good a job as you. Don’t waste time lamenting that you can’t think of anyone that will be the perfect substitute parent for your children – there is likely no one like that. Instead, try to choose a person who shares the values that are important to you – whether those values are around education, religious upbringing, cultural traditions, etc. If your children are old enough, try to choose someone your children know and like and enjoy spending time with. You should also consider the age of the person you are naming and whether they will have the time and energy to be an active participant in your children’s lives until they become adults.

2. Considerations When Naming Married Guardians

If the guardian you have in mind is married or in a long-term relationship, consider whether you want to name both spouses/partners as co-guardians. This is appropriate if you would want both people to make decisions on matters concerning your children, and if you would still want either of them to continue to serve as guardian if the other passes away while your children are still under the age of 18. If only one member of a married couple is the person you want to be guardian, then name only that person as guardian. Your Will should specify who your choice for guardian would be if the first person is not able to serve as guardian for any reason.

3. Considerations for School-Aged Children

When my son was young, I knew that if something happened to my husband and me, I would want him to continue to live in our home and attend the same school he did when we were alive. This type of stability can be important in the aftermath of the death of a parent, especially if a strong support system exists in the community in the form of teachers, coaches, neighbors and friends. The older your children are, the more important this can be given longstanding friendships, sports and other extracurricular activities that your children would want to continue. If it is important to you that your children continue to live in your community and continue to attend school there, consider naming a guardian who would be able to move into your home and continue to live there with your children. If that’s not possible, consider naming a guardian who already lives in your community and who would take your children into their home to live.

4. Considerations for Divorced Parents

If you are a divorced parent of minor children, naming a guardian for your children is no less important. If one parent dies, the child’s surviving parent will be the child’s natural guardian unless it can be shown that the surviving parent is unfit. For many divorced couples who share custody and successfully co-parent their children, this makes sense, and each parent should create a Will naming the other as the primary guardian for their child, and an agreed-upon person as the alternate guardian if both parents are not living or are otherwise unable to act as guardian.

In situations where one parent feels the other parent is unfit to serve as guardian, it is important to make this clear. In your Will, you should name someone other than the other parent as guardian, and be specific that it is your wish that the surviving parent not be appointed as guardian for your child. It is not enough to just make this statement; you would need to leave documentation evidencing the reasons why the surviving parent is unfit. Document these facts in a document separate from your Will, share your knowledge with trusted people and with the Personal Representative you have named in your Will, and ask those people to come forward and share their knowledge if the surviving parent asks the Court to be appointed as guardian instead of those you have named in your Will.

5. Just Name Someone!

Naming a guardian for your minor child is one of the most difficult decisions you will make. Fortunately, it is unlikely that the guardian will ever need to step in, as it is likely you will live until your children are well past the age of 18. However, if you don’t, naming a guardian is arguably the most important thing you can do to ensure your child’s well-being. Despite its importance, I have seen many parents completely paralyzed by this decision – unable to agree on who they should name as guardian for their child. To these parents I say – Just Do It! Come to a compromise and name someone who is right for your children at this moment in time. As your children grow and change, a different person may be more appropriate, and your Will can be changed to name a different guardian at a later date. Naming someone is better than naming no one. If you die without naming a guardian for your children, the Court will have to choose among the people who ask to be appointed. And you know how that goes – undoubtedly, your least favorite sister-in-law will think she is the best candidate to raise your children and if no one objects she will get the job.

You know your children best, and know who you want to raise them if you can’t. So go ahead and make a choice. Get in touch with an estate planning attorney and create a Will that names a guardian for your children. That person will not be perfect, but it will be someone you have chosen. Naming a guardian now will also give you the opportunity to discuss things with the person you name, and create Letters of Instruction for them that describe your hopes and dreams for your children’s future. All of this will give your children the greatest chance of living their best life, even if it is without you.

Maria Baler, Esq. is an estate planning and elder law attorney and partner at Samuel, Sayward & Baler LLC, a law firm based in Dedham. She is also a former director of the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (MassNAELA), and the current President of the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Forum of Estate Planning Attorneys. For more information, visit www.ssbllc.com or call (781) 461-1020. This article is not intended to provide legal advice or create or imply an attorney-client relationship. No information contained herein is a substitute for a personal consultation with an attorney.

Trust Funding

September 21, 2021 by Attorney Maria Baler

Do you want to avoid probate, make sure your assets are distributed as you wish at your death, and save estate tax in the process? Creating a trust is the way to accomplish all of this, and funding your trust with your assets is an essential step in the process! In this video, Attorney Maria Baler discusses trust funding – what is it, how do you do it, and why it is so important.

What Is Supported Decision-Making?

September 15, 2021 by Attorney Abigail V. Poole

By Abigail V. Poole, Esq.

“A friend of mine was telling me about a bill in the Massachusetts legislature for supported decision-making – do you know anything about that?” I explained to my client that supported decision-making is a nationwide movement to develop legal guidelines to permit an adult with intellectual or developmental disabilities, such as Autism or Down Syndrome, to make his or her own health and financial decisions with the support of family members, friends and professionals. These “supporters” are a team, ranging from two to ten trusted individuals, who help the disabled person by discussing the advantages and disadvantages of a decision. The supporters’ roles are outlined in an agreement with the disabled adult who retains the authority to make the final decision for him- or herself.

A supported decision-making agreement is an alternative to a Guardianship in certain situations. Oftentimes, a Guardian is appointed by the court to make health care decisions on behalf of a disabled adult. A Guardianship can be needlessly restrictive on a disabled adult’s independence, especially when the disabled adult is capable of making the decision about his or her own care if individualized support and discussion is available.

To date, around ten states have enacted supported decision-making legislation, and Massachusetts has conducted a successful pilot program utilizing supported decision-making. In March 2021, the proposed Massachusetts bills were referred to the Joint Committee on Children, Family and Persons with Disabilities.

At Samuel, Sayward & Baler LLC, an attorney who is up-to-date about the latest trends and legislation can discuss the current and potential options available for you and your family, and guide you through the preparation of an estate plan to assist your family member with special needs.

Attorney Abigail V. Poole is an associate attorney with the Dedham firm of Samuel, Sayward & Baler LLC which focuses on advising its clients in the areas of estate planning, estate settlement and elder law matters. She is an active member and current Vice President of the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA). This article is not intended to provide legal advice or create or imply an attorney-client relationship. No information contained herein is a substitute for a personal consultation with an attorney. For more information visit ssbllc.com or call 781/461-1020.

September, 2021

Estate Planning and Life Insurance – 5 Ways they Work Together

August 31, 2021 by Attorney Suzanne Sayward

Although we do not sell life insurance here at Samuel, Sayward & Baler LLC, we do help clients plan for their families’ future and life insurance is often a part of that planning. Here are five things to consider in the context of your estate plan when thinking about purchasing, or dropping, a life insurance policy.

1. Life insurance is an excellent planning tool for young families. Young couples just starting life together often do not have a lot of assets. They are at the beginning of their careers so their earnings are not at their peak. In addition, they may carry significant student loan debt or a large mortgage. The birth of a child is often the event that motivates them to purchase life insurance so that if one of them passes away, the survivor will have sufficient funds to stay in the house and raise the children. Considerations such as the impact the loss of one spouse’s income will have on the ability to pay the bills and educate the children should be analyzed when determining whether and how much life insurance to purchase.
2. Life insurance is taxable in the insured’s estate (often). Many people are confused about the taxability of life insurance. In most cases, life insurance proceeds are not taxable income to the person who receives them. For example, if my aunt names me as the beneficiary of her $100,000 life insurance policy, that $100,000 is not taxable income to me. However, life insurance proceeds are a taxable asset of the insured’s estate if the insured owned the policy or had the right to cancel, surrender, or assign the policy or change the policy’s beneficiary. As such, although I will not pay income tax on the $100,000 of life insurance proceeds my aunt left me, those proceeds will be included in my aunt’s taxable estate and will increase the estate tax liability if my aunt’s estate is large enough to require the payment of federal or state estate tax.
3. Life insurance can be an easy way to solve a hard problem. Life insurance can be a good way to address a situation that is creating stress in planning. For example, spouses in a second marriage who want to leave pre-marriage assets to children from a prior marriage but also want to take care of their spouse, could purchase life insurance payable to the surviving spouse while benefitting children with the pre-marital assets. Business owners who want to make sure their surviving partners have the capital to continue to run the business may purchase life insurance on each other or through the business. Parents who want to keep a beloved vacation home in the family but realize the expense of maintaining the property will be a burden to their children can use life insurance to provide funds to pay the costs of maintaining the home following their deaths. Families with a special needs child who want to ensure that funds are available for the child’s lifetime to provide for housing or other needs may use life insurance to fund a trust for the child.
4. Life insurance can be a Good Way to Pay Estate Taxes. For those who have a taxable estate (i.e., more than $11.7 million federally in 2021 and $1 million in Massachusetts), life insurance can be a good way to provide liquidity to pay that tax which is due 9 months after death. However, if the life insurance policy is owned by the deceased, then the life insurance proceeds are added to the taxable estate thereby increasing the estate tax liability. Purchasing and owning life insurance in an Irrevocable Trust will prevent the life insurance proceeds from being part of the insured’s taxable estate thereby preserving the full value of the insurance for the family. With speculation that Congress may reduce the estate tax exemption amount to $3.5 million and increase the rate of the federal estate tax, the irrevocable life insurance trust may become a more frequently used planning tool.
5. Review your life insurance on a regular basis. Life insurance is not an asset that should be purchased and then never looked at again. As time goes by, needs change and life insurance purchased 10 years ago may no longer be sufficient or may no longer be needed. So-called ‘term’ life insurance means that the premiums for the policy are fixed during the term but the policy will expire or the premiums will increase significantly when the term ends. Term policies can be an excellent way to address a short-term situation such as providing funds for children’s education or paying off the mortgage. Once the children have graduated from college or the mortgage is paid, the purpose for which the insurance was purchased is no longer important. If the intention is that the insurance proceeds be available to support that vacation home you are leaving to your children or fund a trust for a special needs child, then a policy that will expire is probably not the right choice.

In my experience, life insurance is typically more complicated than it seems at first blush. It is advisable to work with an experienced life insurance agent, a financial planner, and an estate planning attorney to ensure that you purchase and retain insurance that meets your goals and is best suited for your needs, and own it in a way (in your name or in an Irrevocable Trust) that works with the rest of your estate plan. If you have questions about how life insurance fits into your estate planning, please don’t hesitate to contact us to schedule a consultation with one of our attorneys.

Attorney Suzanne R. Sayward is a partner with the Dedham law firm of Samuel, Sayward & Baler LLC which focuses on advising its clients in the areas of estate planning, estate settlement and elder law matters. She is certified as an Elder Law Attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation, a private organization whose standards for certification are not regulated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This article is not intended to provide legal advice or create or imply an attorney-client relationship. No information contained herein is a substitute for a personal consultation with an attorney. For more information visit our website at ssbllc.com or call 781/461-1020.