Estate Planning

When Time Is Short, Here’s What to Handle First A terminal diagnosis changes the math on everything — including the estate plan you’ve been meaning to finalize for years. The good news: even with weeks or months instead of years, there’s still meaningful work that can be done to protect your family, reduce taxes, and

The right guardian for your children is the person whose values, parenting style, and life circumstances most closely match what you’d want your child’s life to look like — not necessarily your closest relative, your wealthiest sibling, or your oldest friend. In Massachusetts, you nominate a guardian in your will, and the Probate and Family Court

Joint tenancy with right of survivorship means the surviving owner automatically gets the property when the other dies, outside probate. Tenants in common means each owner’s share passes through their estate to whomever they’ve designated — spouse, children, or, in the absence of a will, intestate heirs. For unmarried couples in Massachusetts, the choice between

A UTMA (Uniform Transfers to Minors Act) account is simple, low-cost, and ends when the child turns 21 in Massachusetts — at which point the child gets the entire balance with no strings attached. A trust costs more to set up, requires a trustee, but lets you control when and how the child receives the

If you can’t find the original signed will, Massachusetts law presumes the decedent destroyed it on purpose — meaning they intended to revoke it. That presumption can be overcome, but it shifts the burden to whoever wants the will admitted. You’ll need to file for formal probate, present a copy of the will, and offer evidence

If you’re not legally married and your partner dies without a will, Massachusetts gives you nothing — even after thirty years together, even with children, even if you owned a home together. The estate passes by intestacy to the decedent’s biological family. There’s no surviving-partner equivalent of a surviving spouse under Massachusetts law. Almost every protection

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

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