Blog Posts Page 10

Why Communication Matters with the Right Estate Planning Attorney

Setting up an initial meeting with an estate planning attorney is a valuable exercise that can help you uncover where there are gaps in your current estate plan.

There are many different considerations when it comes to thinking about how property will be passed on after you pass away, but there are also issues to be addressed with regard to estate planning while you’re still alive. This is why it is imperative to think of your estate planning attorney as someone more than you visit once every 10 years or so.Financial contract signature

In fact, an experienced estate planning attorney should recommend that you meet with him or her on a regular basis. This is because not only will your life change, but the tax codes and the laws of your state can change over the course of time. Having a good relationship with a lawyer you trust can put your mind at ease regarding your emergency plans as well as your long-term plans for your estate.

The estate planning documents you’ve put together today may not represent your wishes a couple of years from now, and this is why it is essential to work with an attorney who is committed to keeping you informed.

A good estate planning attorney should always be prepared meet with you to discuss your current plan and suggest changes that may better meet your wishes. Speaking with an estate planning lawyer in Massachusetts now and keeping the flow of communication open can be extremely beneficial for you and your family.

What to Expect in Your First Meeting with an Estate Planning Attorney

If you’re new to the concept of estate planning, you are not alone. In fact, far too many people have gone without even the most basic of estate planning documents. However, being unprepared for your first meeting with an estate planning attorney can generate nerves and anxiety if you’re not sure what to expect.

During this initial meeting, bring any documents that you do have with you and any notes that you have about what would you like to happen to your property. Be decisive about your choices, especially when it comes to your estate plan.

A basic understanding of all of your assets can be beneficial so that you can come up with a comprehensive inventory. If you have any specific wishes or questions, note these down in advance as well so that your attorney can help you figure out next steps.

During the initial meeting,Closeup of business woman signing documents in a cafe the attorney will likely make an effort in order to get to know you, your family’s situation and your business situation if you have one. The attorney will usually take notes and ask follow up questions in order to identify your needs and to come up with a complete picture of your individual situation. From there, the attorney might suggest numerous tactics and strategies in order to develop an estate plan for you.

The attorney should be focused on taking your individual needs and translating those into strategies that can help you and make things easier for your heirs down the line. During this meeting you should also be taking notes as well and noting questions as the attorney speaks so that you can ask them.

At the end of the meeting the attorney will likely suggest next steps. This could be handling one or more of the aspects that he or she has talked about in the meeting itself and further information may be required from you.

Being prepared in advance and having all of your materials organized and written down can make things go much more quickly but it is also a good idea to have an ongoing relationship with your Massachusetts estate planning attorney so that things can be changed as needed.

 

For more information see Preparing for an Initial Estate Planning Consultation

Critical Questions You Should Ask Your Estate Planning Attorney

When you’re hiring a Massachusetts estate planning attorney, you might be under the impression that the process is relatively simple. You might, for example, believe thatprofessionals1 what you need is a simple will. While it is certainly possible that you may only need a will, it is still an incredibly important process to select the right estate planning attorney. Estate planning in reality is anything but simple. In fact, it is one of the most complex facets of the law in general. It is bound by both state and federal regulations and requires careful planning for your unique needs. Planning for you and your estate, both during the time you are alive as well as after you pass away, is extremely complex. Some of the most important questions you should ask your estate planning attorney include:
• Do you provide comprehensive estate planning services?
• Will you help with additional loss of privacy, delays, costs or other problems associated with probate?
• What percentage of your practice is associated with elder law or estate planning?
• How many hours of continuing legal education programs associated with elder law or estate planning topics do you attend every year?
• Do you properly title, ensure and outline beneficiaries for all assets inside my trust?
• What kind of homework is required from me as the client in order to successfully manage my estate planning needs?
All of these questions can help illuminate whether or not someone is the right fit for you as a Massachusetts estate planning attorney.

Key Estate Planning Concerns for the Sandwich Generation

Individuals in the sandwich generation, or adult children who are caring for their own minor children while also helping their aging parents have a unique set of estate planning concerns. For example, you might have just come to the realization that your adult parents have never gone through the estate planning process.

Faced with numerous questions about long term care and retirement, you may want to help your aging parents get on top of their estate planning by setting up a meeting with a Massachusetts estate planning attorney today. This is also a great time to evaluate your own estate planning documents.

When was the last time you’ve updated your will? Are all of the beneficiaries on your various accounts like your life insurance policy or your investment accounts in line with any changes in your life including marriage, divorce, or the birth of a child?

The sandwich generation has many things to be concerned about but estate planning can be easily accomplished by setting up a meeting with a lawyer and talking about your primary goals. Estate planning helps you gain peace of mind about your future and also about how property will be distributed to your beneficiaries if something happens to you.

If you have concerns about assisting your elderly parents and putting together your own estate planning tools, schedule a meeting with a Massachusetts estate planning attorney today.

 

 

Key Concerns of Estate Planning for the Aging Population

Baby boomers represent a significant portion of the American population today. One of the biggest concerns impacting these baby boomers is that people are living longer than ever. Life expectancy in 1950 for comparison purpose, was just 65 years.

However, today, men live an average of 76 years and women live for an average of 82 years. This means that old retirement planning methods just might not cut it when it comes to this longer time in retirement. Individuals have to think carefully as well about how a potential long term care event could influence them.

A sudden accident or disability could generate a lot of legal and financial questions for your loved ones if you have not done your proper planning. Meeting with a Massachusetts estate planning attorney can help to make sure that you have all the proper documents in line if you have specific wishes about your healthcare decisions. It can also allow you to appoint somebody else under a health care proxy to make decisions for you if you become unable to do so.

There has never been a more important time than now to think about protecting yourself and setting up a meeting with a Massachusetts estate planning attorney.

The Biggest Benefits of Establishing a Trust

You might be under the impression that if you do not have many assets then you don’t have to set up a meeting with an estate planning attorney. Trusts actually have numerous benefits that can help you and your beneficiaries now and down the line.

Understanding the benefits of a trust can help you determine whether or not it’s the right fit for you. One of the most common reasons for establishing a trust is to avoid probate. This could lead to a substantial savings and paperwork, legal fees and time. Probate is the process by which a judge determines whether or not a will is valid.

A trust, however, allows your decedents to avoid this process and gain access to the property and assets much more quickly. Probate fees can also be eliminated or reduced, thus saving your family money as well. A trust also gives you better protection against possible legal action with anyone who would be unhappy about the distribution of the assets and decides to challenge it through the court systems.

Furthermore, a trust also gives you a greater layer of privacy and more flexibility over how these assets are distributed. A trust grantor determines how the assets inside the estate will be distributed to beneficiaries.

For those beneficiaries, for example, that you may worry about managing money, you can outline when and how they will receive these assets, which gives parents a great deal of peace of mind. To learn more about setting up a trust and other estate planning questions, contact a Massachusetts estate planning attorney.

What You Need to Know About the Basics of the Estate Planning Process

If you assume that you don’t have any assets, you could be making the mistake of skipping out on an estate plan entirely. An estate plan is one of the most important collections of documents that you will have and there are many reasons why.

 Every person has an estate with very few exceptions. Even a young child who has a custodial account in his or her name could be considered to have an estate.

If you have anything of value that you want to give to someone else when you pass away, you have an estate. There are several different documents that you need to meet your estate planning goals and you also need to understand in general, the basics of how these all work. This estate planning process includes:

  • Current laws in your state and at the federal level
  • Gift taxes
  • The estate tax system and how it works
  • Trust as a compliment to wills
  • Wills and other essential documents
  • Durable powers of attorney

You need to consult with an experienced estate planning attorney if you have not yet engaged in the process of considering what will happen after you pass away. Estate planning, however, is not only about what happens after you’ve passed away. It is just as much about how you will handle your affairs while you are still alive, including documents like a health care proxy or financial power of attorney. Consult with a Massachusetts estate planning attorney today to learn more.

Key Steps for Preventing Elder Abuse

Unfortunately, elder abuse is a pervasive problem not just in Massachusetts but all over the country. Often the elderly, and especially those who are afflicted with severe conditions are unable to protect themselves or even speak up for themselves. This is why it is imperative for friends and family members to understand the signs of elder abuse and neglect.  Eldery home care

Follow these tips below to take a stand against elder abuse:

  • Give a break to a caregiver so that you can check in on your loved one
  • Visit or call an elderly loved one and make sure to ask how he or she is doing
  • Make notes of your visits with your loved one and record any details out of the ordinary
  • Ask for copies of your loved one’s medical records if you believe that signs of the abuse may be filed there
  • Know the signs of elder abuse and neglect so that you can raise concerns to an elder abuse attorney or an elder law attorney if you believe something is out of the ordinary. Understanding the signs of elder abuse and neglect can help stop abuse early on in the process and prevent others from becoming a victim.

Here is a link to the elder abuse hotline for more information- http://www.mass.gov/elders/service-orgs-advocates/protective-services-program.html

Making the decision about how to care for your elderly parents is a challenging one but it is one that must be undertaken with a particular level of care and compassion. Consult with a Massachusetts elder law attorney today to learn more. Noreen Murphy is passionate about helping seniors with their elder law needs. She was recently inducted into the Arlington Elder Abuse Prevention Hall of Fame for her efforts.

Reasons to Revoke a Will

As you likely know, it’s important to have a valid will in the event that something happens to you. This allows your loved ones to receive assets that you choose when you pass away, and in conjunction with other estate planning strategies, may be important for helping make the process as easy as possible for your family.words last will and testament written on typewriter

That being said, there’s a good chance that your life circumstances might change after you put together your initial will. It’s important to ensure that you already have a relationship with an estate planning attorney if you want to change your will. Having multiple versions of your will can become confusing, and if you’re not careful, it could even open the door for family members to argue that the will entered into probate is invalid.

Here are a couple of reasons why you may wish to consider revoking your will and writing a new one with the help of a Massachusetts estate planning attorney:

  • Marriage
  • Divorce
  • A minor child becoming an adult
  • Winning the lottery or inheriting/receiving a large asset
  • Having more children

What seems like a small mistake on your end could render your new will invalid, so you need to work with your attorney to make sure that it’s clear the new version is accurate and recognized as valid. This is particularly true if you are changing your distributions significantly.

Remember, a will might look like a simple document, but it has big ramifications for your beneficiaries. Make sure yours is correct by working with a Massachusetts estate planning attorney.

Estate Planning Matters for All Ages

There’s a tendency to think that estate planning in Massachusetts is only for someone at or near retirement age. This is based on the premise that estate planning is only for outlining what happens to your belongings after you pass away, but it’s just as important that you plan for your life as it is your death.Financial contract signature

A sudden disability, illness, or accident can raise a lot of legal questions very quickly. Without the appropriate powers of attorney, you leave your family in a difficult situation. While no one wants to think about being incapacitated, it’s an important issue to consider just in case. In an ideal world, you wouldn’t need to activate these power of attorney documents, but, much like an insurance policy, it’s your form of protection in case you do need it.

One of the biggest reasons why people outside of the retirement age bracket need estate planning is to name a guardian for their children. Just as no one wants to think about a sudden accident causing a disability, it’s even harder to think about your own mortality, but it’s likely that you do have strong feelings about who you would like to raise your children if you were not able to do so.

If something does happen to you, this time would be very challenging for your children already. A turbulent and unstable situation could make this process even more difficult for them. That’s why you need to do the homework to ensure that you have fully documented who want to take over. Make sure you have a conversation with this person or people before you put together the documents with your Massachusetts estate planning attorney. Taking responsibility for someone else’s children is a serious matter and it’s a role that should only be given to someone who understands the full implications.

Ready to talk estate planning? Contact a Massachusetts estate planning attorney’s office today.