Estate planning, the process of organizing and preparing for the management and disposal of a person’s assets after death, has a long history in Massachusetts. Massachusetts, one of the original thirteen colonies, has a rich legal history that has significantly influenced estate planning practices across the United States. Understanding the history of estate planning in… Read More »
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Who Needs an Estate Plan?
You maybe surprised about who needs an estate plan. If you have dependents, a business, specific requests or significant assets, you may need an estate plan.
Tips for Advanced Planning for a Person with Dementia
The rate of decline in dementia can make it very difficult to accomplish your estate planning outline and strategies once your diagnosis has already progressed. The tips in this article should give you some insight over how you can plan well and advance in the early stages of when someone appears to be showing the… Read More »
These Are Some Of My Favorite Things….
I was late this year in putting up our holiday decorations. It wasn’t because I was too busy or was away, I just wasn’t in the mood. Without the usual festivities and being with family, it wasn’t on the top of my list. In fact, it wasn’t on my list to do – I was… Read More »
Workers Nervous About the Impact of Long-Term Care
If long-term care isn’t at the top of your mind for your own reasons, you might be thinking about this issue from the perspective of being an adult child looking ahead to help your parents navigate their own transition to retirement. But even if your most immediate concerns have to do with aging loved ones,… Read More »
Do You Have Your Most Important Papers Protected?
The news has been filled with plenty of stories about devastating and tragic events that have forced people out of their homes suddenly. This is why it’s so important for everyone to have a plan for how they will access their important documents and information if they are suddenly forced out of the home and… Read More »
Plan for The Worst and Hope for The Best with Your Estate
Far too many people put off the process of estate planning because they assume that it won’t happen to them. As anyone who has lived through the unfortunate experience of watching a loved one pass away suddenly and unexpectedly can attest, it is very important to plan for the worst while still hoping for the… Read More »
Future of Estate Planning – Some Musings
At the 2018 University of Miami’s Heckerling Institute, there was a panel that talked about the future of estate planning. The following will summarize some points raised during the panel’s discussion. Some states (e.g. Florida) are allowing e-notarization of legal documents. This is not in widespread use yet (and is not accepted in Massachusetts at… Read More »
A Few Updates Regarding Roth IRAs
At the 2018 University of Miami’s Heckerling Institute, Natalie Choate discussed making a contribution to a traditional IRA and then converting those assets to a Roth IRA (this is an approach to consider if you are over the income limit for a Roth contribution during the year). This is a possible strategy to consider if… Read More »
Some Thoughts to Consider for Those Helping Elders
Here are some random but important things to consider for those helping elders. Reminder: Do not sign personally as the one responsible for the cost of another person’s nursing home expenses. Only sign in your official capacity (e.g. power of attorney agent). You should not sign in your individual capacity unless it is for you… Read More »