By: Allison R. Burns, Esq. In creating an estate plan, most parents choose to treat their children as equal beneficiaries. There may be unique situations in which one child has a greater need to be cared for, and this should be clearly indicated in the estate planning...
Salem Massachusetts Estate Planning Law Blog
Is it important to talk to your family about your estate plan?
Not many people talk about their estate plans with others besides their attorneys and significant others. They may not inform their beneficiaries that they’re included in a will or even give notice that a specific person will have an important role, like power of...
3 benefits you can get from using a trust in your estate plan
People shy away from trusts when they plan their estates for a number of reasons. They might think that trusts are unnecessarily complicated. They might view them as expensive when they actually offer a lot of value compared to the cost to create them. People also...
Ring in the New Year by Updating Your Estate Plan
2020, a year full of many upheavals, is coming to a close. Our estate planning team is here to relieve some of your stress to ensure there is a plan in place for you and your family. Many people believe the holiday season represents a point too far into the calendar...
Do you need to revisit your estate plan?
Unlike some of the things that you may associate with becoming a grown-up, making an estate plan is not something you can cross off your to-do list after doing it once. You need to continually revisit your estate plan throughout your life to ensure it is accurate and...
What is an incentive trust?
Before you leave property to someone as part of your estate plan, you may want to consider the power that money can have over people. An incentive trust offers a chance to encourage someone to act in a way that you believe is for their own good. How can incentive...
Estate plans are not as common as they should be
In a very real sense, everyone knows that they need an estate plan. Passing away and leaving assets behind is inevitable. This suggests that estate planning would be very common and that most people would have at least the skeleton of a basic plan in place. The...
How far back will MassHealth review your transfers if you apply?
Medicaid could be a part of your future, which is why you need to think about qualifying for it even if you don't need those benefits right now. As someone living in Massachusetts, if you need to move into an assisted living facility or require other forms of...
The cost of probate is high: Avoid it with these 3 tips
Did you know that the average cost to go through probate is around $15,000 to $20,000? That’s an expensive fee for a situation that can be completely avoided. As someone who is putting together an estate plan now, one of the things you’ll want to do is to talk to your...
Skeletons in the Closet: Things to Consider Before Waiving Your Inspection Contingency
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are choosing to make their home offer more competitive by waiving their home inspection. But is this the right decision? What Does it Mean to Waive the Inspection Contingency? The inspection contingency is a standard part of...