Our Estate Planning Practice
We work closely with families and individuals to insure that their assets will be properly passed on to those that they love. Our firm also works closely to make sure that loved ones especially minors will be properly cared for if the unthinkable should happen. Our thoughtful and experienced Estate Planning Attorney works individually with clients to name Temporary Guardians and Permanent Guardians of minor children, drafts nominations and sends each named individual instructions on how to fulfill their duties. Our Estate Planning services are done on a flat fee basis and are a great tool for families with young children to make sure that their loved ones are protected well into the future as well as individuals to make sure their legacy carries on as intended.
Some of the Estate Planning vehicles we use include the following:
Revocable Living Trusts – A great vehicle for families to avoid Probate and make sure that their assets are passed according to their desires. A Revocable Living Trust can prevent a family with young children from being required to have a Conservator appointed to manage their assets that would pass to their minor children. Revocable Living Trusts are also a great way to pass property to loved ones without the need of Probate.
Irrevocable Trusts – Irrevocable Trusts are a great vehicle for individuals or families that are concerned about owning property and are able to give up control of their assets. Irrevocable Trusts are great vehicles for protection from creditors and allow people to begin planning for long-term care.
Powers Of Attorney – A Power of Attorney is a great estate planning vehicle for a person to appoint or nominate someone else to conduct business in their absence or in the event of their incapacity.
Health Care Proxy – a Health Care Proxy allows a person to nominate someone to make medical decisions on their behalf in the event that they cannot communicate with medical professionals. A Health Care Proxy is an important tool in any carefully thought out Estate Plan. Our attorney can guide you through the process of choosing and communicating your wishes with your Health Care Proxy.
Living Wills – In Massachusetts Living Wills are not dispositive or binding but are more an opportunity for the person creating the Living Will to give direction to their Health Care Proxy about end of life decisions such as being fed and hydrated by artificial means. A Living Will in conjunction with well advised and communicated Health Care Proxy can insure that a persons end of life decisions are carried out according to their wishes.
Temporary Guardianship Nominations – For families with small children nominating a Temporary Guardian is a critical step in making sure your children are protected if anything should happen to you. Working with our trusted advisors we can develop an appropriate list of people that would temporarily care for your children if you didn’t come home.
Permanent Guardianship Nominations – For families with small children choosing who the kids will live with permanently after the tragic loss of their parents can be a major stumbling block. Our trusted Advisor/Attorney can help families work through the process of naming the right individual or individuals to care for their children for the long term.