Too many family members find themselves dealing with complex problems after a loved one passes away. This can include issues such as intestate succession when a person dies without a will. When the state takes over, any personal wishes you might have had about your...
Estate Planning
How To Help Parents Plan for Their Estate Without the Perception of Undue Influence
There are many different estate planning challenges that may not be apparent until after a loved one has passed away. For example, a sibling who feels as though they have been excluded or treated unfairly in the assignment of assets may argue that another child unduly...
Your New 18 Year Old Needs A Health Care Directive
If you have a child who is nearing age 18, there’s a good chance you’re still helping them with most of their healthcare and other planning decisions, especially if they live at home. But this big birthday is about more than someone being considered a legal adult....
Out of Date Documents: A Serious Problem
To put it plainly…one of the biggest mistakes you can make with your estate plan is to allow your estate planning documents to become outdated. I always tell my clients that an estate plan is a “living breathing thing” and should be reviewed at strategic times in...
Pet Trusts: Our pets are a part of our family.
History: In the past “pets” were treated as “chattel” or possessions under the law. This was because they were viewed as necessary to aid us in our lifestyles. They had to “work for a living.” Dogs herded sheep; cats kept the rat population down; and horses and...
Aesop Fables- The Grasshopper and the Ant (La Cigale et la Fourmi):
Aesop, the ancient Greek writer of fables, lived between 620 BC and 564 BCE. He was a contemporary of Aristotle, Herodotus, and Plutarch— the “Greek Greats!” It is mostly philosophy and history majors who have actually read the Greek Greats. They are not always easy...
Did you know that a beneficiary designation will override the terms of your Will or Trust?
When people discuss their estate planning, they often focus on their Wills and Trusts. One thing that often gets overlooked is their beneficiary designations. A beneficiary designation will override the terms of your Will or Trust. If you have a Will or Trust that...
The Rule of 10: Don’t put it off: Move forward with your Estate Plan Now!
My son is an avid wildlife photographer. We have a picture of a deer, swimming—yes, swimming away from a coyote. Observing this was a first for our entire family. A deer swimming—in a local salt-water pond? Once in a lifetime. But Sam says, “This is the rule of 10....
Essential Book For “Aging Specialists”1
Several year ago I drew up, for the Life Planning Network, a list of books that professionals should read to help them advise clients who prudently decide to plan for their 60s, 70s, or 80s. This week — while preparing for my elder law class at Suffolk Law School on...