A buy-sell agreement is only as useful as the events it covers. If your agreement addresses death but ignores disability, divorce, or a partner’s bankruptcy, you have a plan with holes in it. And those holes tend to reveal themselves at the worst possible time. The “triggers” in a buy-sell agreement are the specific events […]
What Triggers Should a Buy-Sell Agreement Include in Massachusetts? Read More »
When someone dies without a will or trust in Massachusetts, they have not opted out of estate planning. They have just let the state do it for them. And the state’s plan almost certainly does not match what they would have chosen. Dying without a will is called dying “intestate.” It happens to roughly 6
What Happens to an Estate When There’s No Will or Trust in Andover? Read More »
A standard will works fine for a straightforward family. One marriage, shared children, no competing interests. But if you have remarried, have children from a prior relationship, or are raising stepchildren, a standard will is not just insufficient. It can actively work against you. The problem is not that standard wills are poorly written. The
Why Standard Wills Often Fail Blended Families in Massachusetts Read More »
You and your business partner have probably talked about growth plans, revenue targets, and client acquisition. But have you talked about what happens if one of you dies, becomes disabled, or decides to walk away? If the answer is no, your business is operating without a safety net. A buy-sell agreement is the document that
Why Every Business Partnership Needs a Buy-Sell Agreement Read More »
Estate planning is personal. For transgender individuals, it is deeply personal because the documents that govern your medical care, your assets, and your final wishes need to reflect who you actually are. When those documents contain outdated names, incorrect pronouns, or fail to account for family dynamics unique to transgender people, the consequences can range
Estate Planning Considerations for Transgender Individuals Read More »
Most people buy life insurance to make sure their family has money when they need it most. So it is understandable that one of the most common questions we hear is whether life insurance has to go through probate before beneficiaries can access it. The short answer: usually, no. But there are situations where life
Does Life Insurance Go Through Probate? Read More »
For many Massachusetts families, the family home represents decades of hard work, cherished memories, and financial security. So when people learn that MassHealth — Massachusetts’s Medicaid program — can pursue reimbursement from their home after they pass away, the reaction is understandable: “How do I prevent that from happening?” It’s an important question, and the
How Do I Avoid Medicaid Taking My House in Massachusetts? Read More »
Divorce changes everything — including your estate plan. But here’s what many people don’t realize: even after a divorce is finalized, your ex-spouse may still have a pathway to your assets. Not directly, but through your children. If you leave an inheritance to your children outright, those assets become part of their financial picture. And
Can My Ex-Spouse Get My Assets Through My Kids? Read More »
If you are a stepparent in Massachusetts, the law does not recognize your stepchildren as your legal heirs. That is not a gray area. It is the default rule, and it catches blended families off guard every day. Under the Massachusetts Uniform Probate Code, only biological and legally adopted children qualify as heirs for purposes
Do Stepchildren Have Inheritance Rights in Massachusetts? Read More »
It seems like such a simple solution. You want to make sure your home passes to your child without the hassle and expense of probate. So why not just add their name to the deed? Problem solved, right? Not quite. Adding an adult child to your deed is one of the most common — and most
Should I Add My Adult Child to My Deed in Massachusetts? Read More »
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