Thinking of creating your own estate plan? You may want to think again. In Massachusetts, there are dozens of cases where a Will or Trust has been challenged because an error was made in the signing or the drafting of the actual document. Most mistakes are because the now deceased person never consulted a lawyer…. Read More »
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Estate Planning With An IRA
Many people have some type of Individual Retirement Account that should be reviewed as part of the estate planning process. Since an IRA is part of the ultimate distribution, it is a good idea to contact the company managing the IRA account and confirm that the beneficiary designations are up to date, and accurately reflect… Read More »
Questions About Home Care and Assisted Living?
Get Answers to Your Questions One of the things that makes elder law so different from other areas of practice is that elder law attorneys are often trying to put plans and solutions in place for their clients. Offering a client a complete plan frequently means putting together a team of people all focused on… Read More »
Aid and Attendance – NBC News Story
I just came across this NBC news story on the Department of Veterans Affairs Aid and Attendance benefit. The report again stresses that this monthly benefit can make an enormous difference in helping Veterans, their spouses, or widows, pay for the cost of long-term care – if only they knew about it. (The video is… Read More »
Veterans Administration “Aid and Attendance” Benefit
On April 26, 2012 I will be giving a free seminar on the Veterans Aid and Attendance benefit at the Arnold House in Stoneham, Massachusetts. Fellow elder law attorney Nancy Hogan, Esq., and I will explain what this benefit means and how veterans and their spouses may qualify. The presentation is free and open to… Read More »
Life Circumstances Dictate When To Update Your Will or Trust
WHEN TO UPDATE YOUR ESTATE PLAN As an estate planning attorney, I review lots of existing Wills and Trusts. Many of these documents were done years ago – and many of them still reflect the wishes of the client. However, there are times when I get a call that goes something like this: “I think… Read More »
Massachusetts in the Top 5 – Of Costliest Retirement States
TopRetirements.com released its 2012 list of the “Worst States to Retire.” It will probably come as no surprise to those of us that live here that Massachusetts finished fifth on the list – behind Connecticut, Illinois, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Among the reasons that Massachusetts made the list were high property taxes and the high… Read More »
National Honor Society Students Offer “Handyman” Services to Winchester Seniors
For four weekends in March, the National Honor Society of Winchester High School will be offering their time, talent, and “elbow grease” to provide help with any jobs that are needed throughout Winchester. The students will be in teams of two, four or six depending on the size of the job, they will be providing… Read More »
Finally – Social Security Increase Scheduled for 2012
The Social Security Administration announced that starting on December 30, 2011, social security recipients will receive a 3.6 percent increase in benefits. Increases in social security benefits are based on a cost of living adjustment (COLA). For the first time since the automatic COLA adjustment was put in place (1975), there were no increases in benefits for 2010… Read More »
Estate Planning and Elder Law Newsletter: Estate Administration
Every month I send an E-Newsletter that has articles on estate planning and elder law topics. If you would like to subscribe to this E-Newsletter please feel free to sign up. This months topic is Estate Administration. When someone passes away, the executor or successor trustee responsibilities start. Their primary job is to protect and manage the assets… Read More »