A few weeks ago, The National Law Review ran a great explanation of what they call “the new paradigm” in estate planning. For many years, avoiding the federal estate tax — or at least minimizing one’s burden under the estate tax — was paramount among the estate planner’s goals. These days, it’s not so important…. Read More »
Posts Categorized: Estate Planning
Make Estate Planning Your New Year’s Resolution
We’re several weeks into the New Year, and studies show that most people have already abandoned their resolutions (or at least they will soon)! Well, it’s an A for effort, anyway. If you’re among those who’ve already thrown in the proverbial towel — or if you didn’t even get so far as making a resolution… Read More »
How to Choose a Massachusetts Estate Planning Lawyer
Market Watch recently stepped up with great advice for its readers. Their tips are threefold: Create an estate plan. Do it now. Find a great attorney to help you. Those first two come down to your own initiative — all they require is that you pick up a phone. But, to borrow a phrase from… Read More »
The 4 C’s: Why You Need An Estate Plan
NerdWallet recently answered that age-old question — “Do I need a will?” — with a pithy but resounding, “Yes.” Of course, one-word answers haven’t convinced most Americans. Despite experts’ impassioned pleas, some 55% of adults in this country still don’t have so much as a will, let alone a trust or any of the other… Read More »
College Student Urges Her Peers Toward Advance Planning
Here’s something unexpected — a college student making the case for estate planning for her fellow Millennials! Color us surprised. It’s no secret that most American adults are reluctant to think about the possibility of passing away unexpectedly. And no age group is less interested in the prospect of death or old age than those… Read More »
Lewy Body Dementia Is Frequently Misdiagnosed
That news took even Williams’ closest friends by surprise, in part because the actor had kept the diagnosis a secret and also because this particular form of the disease is so poorly understood. Dr. Angela Bentle, a geriatrics specialist with the Methodist Charlton Medical Center, recently sat down for a public-access interview to help people… Read More »
Why More Unmarried Young People Are Making Estate Plans
Adam Cooperman opened a technology consulting firm in New York City at age 33 — impressive for his youth by all accounts. He had no spouse and no children, but his small business success meant he had some assets to speak of. “If I have all these professional matters,” he told The New York Times this… Read More »
Estate Planning and the Turkey Talk: How to Handle This Thanksgiving
Some people look forward to Thanksgiving all year long — the cranberry, the pumpkin, the pie, the rare reunion with family members you love. for others, ‘tis the season of dread — awkward encounters with relatives you barely remember, labored small talk, and uncomfortable questions that border on the offensive. (Just remember: every family is… Read More »
Elder Law & Estate Planning: Separate But Intertwined
Lawyers tend to talk about elder law and estate planning as two separate areas of law. After all, that’s how most law firms divide up their practice areas. Some focus on the former, some on the latter, others on both. But the distinction isn’t always so tidy. Brad Reid, a scholar at the Dean Institute… Read More »
A Look at a Few Common Trusts (And How They Help)
The Motley Fool recently issued a new article dispelling the myth that trusts are only for wealthy families with walk-in vaults and rivers of gold. The truth is that trusts have become an essential building block in today’s middle-class and working-class estate plans. View image | gettyimages.com Trusts can save everyone money, heartache, hassle, and… Read More »