Aretha Franklin, the “Queen of Soul” died on August 16, 2018. It has been reported that she died without a Will or Trust. Aretha is in good company, as she has joined the surprisingly long list of celebrities who die without a Will, the most recent of which was Prince. As an estate planning attorney, […]
Five Answers to Your Questions about the Massachusetts Estate Tax (from An Estate Planning Attorney)
The Massachusetts estate tax is a little-understood tax that impacts middle-class families in our fair state every year. If you live (and die) in Massachusetts and own a home, a retirement account, and a life insurance policy, there is a good chance that your “estate” is large enough to be subject to estate tax. Here […]
Asset Protection and Creditor Protection – Why Failing to Plan is Risky Business
Let’s face it – taking a risk now and again can add a bit of spice to life. How else to explain hang-gliding or road-side sushi stands? On the other hand, keeping one’s family and fortune safe from risk is on the list of “lifetime goals” for most people. Estate planning is all about protecting […]
Congratulations to Your High School Graduate!
Summer is now in full swing after the end-of-the-school-year excitement and celebrations for recent high school grads! Many parents will soon begin the process of preparing their young adult for college, including spending lots of time (and money!) at Bed, Bath & Beyond purchasing items for the dorm room, classes, and extracurricular activities. In […]
Five Questions to Ask Before Creating an Irrevocable Trust
Some of the most frequent questions I hear from clients in my estate planning law practice have to do with whether they should create an irrevocable trust. Here are five questions to ask when deciding whether or not an irrevocable trust would be a good addition to your estate planning strategy. What is your reason […]
An Estate Planning Lesson from Roseanne Barr?
Regardless of whether you agree or disagree with the decision to cancel the Roseanne show following Roseann Barr’s racist tweet of last month, I think everyone can agree that her failure to be thoughtful about her actions led to her downfall and the downfall of her very successful show. While there may be debate about […]
Five Estate Planning Tips for Newlyweds or Engaged Couples
I thoroughly enjoyed watching the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle while nibbling on scones and sipping tea in the early hours of last Saturday morning. In both the back-story and the visuals, it was a fairy tale come to life, which is not something you see every day. All of that wedded […]
Estate Plans go Hand in Hand with Travel Plans
Vacation season is upon us, and in my experience, the prospect of boarding a plane is a great motivator to review my estate plan. Although (in 31 years of practice) I have not lost a vacationing client, I understand the anxiety that vacation travel can provoke. If you are planning a vacation this summer and […]
Five Ways to Get Yourself in Trouble when Serving as a Fiduciary of a Will or Trust
A fiduciary is a person who stands in a position of trust to one or more other people typically with respect to the safeguarding or management of assets. For example, the person you name to carry out your wishes in your Will (Personal Representative) or under your Trust (Trustee) is a fiduciary. This is important […]
A Panoramic Primer on Probate: Part Two – Marshalling Assets
Upon receipt from the Court of the Letters of Authority appointing a person as Personal Representative (PR) of the decedent’s estate in an informal or formal probate, the PR has the authority to begin taking action with regard to the assets of the estate. These “probate assets” (owned in the decedent’s individual name which do […]