Estate taxes can significantly impact the wealth you’ve worked hard to accumulate over your lifetime, potentially reducing the amount you can pass on to your heirs. However, with careful estate planning, it’s possible to minimize your estate tax exposure and maximize the legacy you leave behind. This blog post explores various strategies that can help...

On September 6, 2024, Governor Maura Healy signed into law H5033 (An Act to Improve Quality and Oversight of Long-Term Care) known as the Long Term Care bill.  The legislation related to the bill has been long advocated by numerous groups, including the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (MassNAELA). Some...

The summer temperatures are calming down a bit this week, and we are (reluctantly) starting to think about the fall and winter months. If you are a New Englander who flies south for the winter, there are some estate planning elements that you should review or initiate. These items help you prepare for the “what...

As our children embark on their next chapter in life, whether it’s heading off to college, taking a gap year, or entering the workforce, we parents face a bittersweet milestone. Our kids, now 18, are legally considered adults. While we’ve done our best to prepare them for what lies ahead, we may still need to...

As you plan for your family’s financial future, trusts can be powerful tools to efficiently protect and transfer wealth. Using a Trust to hold inheritances for children or grandchildren can allow you to leverage annual gifting and potentially reduce estate taxes. 1. Trusts as Inheritance Vehicles Setting up a trust to hold assets for your...

More frequently, we are hearing clients talk about wanting to plan ahead for all aspects of their aging, including planning for their final funeral wishes.  While not necessarily a “fun” way to spend one’s time, planning for end of life can have many benefits.   One of the strategies often used is to prepay for funeral...

A point of discussion we often have with our clients concerns the issue of long term care.  On most days, we receive questions such as, “How do I protect my assets?” and “How do I make sure that I get the care I need as I age?”.   Thinking about long-term care costs is a wise...

We are often asked by clients who have a revocable trust, whether they can put their property into that trust, and the answer is usually yes. What if there is a mortgage? Even if that property has a loan against it, you can transfer ownership of the property into a revocable trust of which you...