Estate Planning

"Sign here, please."   We are all confronted with this casual request fairly frequently - at the bank, at the doctor's office,  at the pharmacy.  Do we always know what we are signing?  Often, we are not even given an opportunity to read what we are agreeing to.

A little known but very effective tool can allow you to set up a trust to protect your assets from Medicaid after you die.  By integrating it with your existing planning, a very favorable result can be obtained with little extra trouble.

Settlement is what you do when someone dies.  All too often, clients come to me to plan for their own estates, and, as we explore the estate - what accounts are there?  what property do you have?   We learn that some of their property is actually still titled to people who are dead.

Should you do "Digital Estate Planning?"  It sounds like the modern, up-to-date thing to do.  I explain that there is no such thing, and what you should do instead.

Should you be worried about the estate tax?  The exemption amount for the federal estate tax may be about to drop steeply.  See if you should be concerned.

This post is for people who need to reduce their estates below the Massachusetts "exemption" of $1 million, and especially for those who risk incurring the federal estate tax on estates in excess of $5 million. Find out whether "Crummey" trust powers are a solution to your problem.

In "Double Decker" estate planning, the children are involved with the process of planning the parent's estate.  This can be useful, but it is not without it's hazards, when the Elder Law attorney becomes a lightening-rod for family conflict.

Metrowest Daily News has published my article:  "Stick Note Estate Planning."  To read it, click here

Gifts can cause problems.  See how gift tax may affect your decision to make gifts.

Your house will take care of you, but only as long as you take care of it.

How to avoid the cost of a nursing home - and how to protect your property in case you can't.