August 2024 Newsletter

Legal Lines News

Estate Planning and Elder Law

Which Will Would You Choose?

If you or your loved ones have not yet created a will, you are not alone. In fact, according to a recent survey, not having created a will puts you among the majority of Americans. Learn more about why estate planning should be done early, often, and with attorney assistance to ensure it serves its purpose and stands up to scrutiny.

Could a Will Be Right For You?

This estate planning tool retains its core purpose of transferring a person’s assets (money and property) to others after their death. Wills have stood the test of time—and for good reason: they are fundamental to controlling your assets and legacy. Learn more about what a will does—and does not do.

Dear Reader:

It is hard to believe that it is already August!

2 Thoughts:

1. Wills: Our newsletter focus this month is on Wills. If a Massachusetts resident does not have a Will and leaves assets in their single name without any named beneficiaries, our “intestacy” laws take over. There is an order for distribution within those laws, but it does not include unmarried significant others. During the past few months we have had several unmarried clients whose significant others died without a Will that included orally promised benefits for those clients.

Unfortunately, there is not much we can do for these people. They are generally not entitled to any part of a decedent’s estate where they have not been directly named. The people we have met with to give them this bad news have been with their loved one for many years and often cared for them in a serious last illness. In the past people came to me with this dilemma and I told them to get married. But today, there is a cohort of people that don’t want to marry! Period! These people would be well advised to create Wills for each other so that they are recognized following death. If they do not, at least the creation of accounts with named beneficiaries could be helpful.

If you are a person in this category, please feel free to contact us at 617-431-2669 so that we may assist you remember the ones you loved most!