Legal Briefs

As eager cooks everywhere break out their favorite time-tested holiday recipes and experiment with new ones, it is a fitting time to discuss every estate planning attorney’s least favorite year-round recipe: the estate planning disaster.

By Cathleen Summers Now is the time to take the legal steps necessary to ensure that your assets are protected and that your wishes met....

Clients frequently ask, “Why can’t I just put my house in my children’s names?” It seems simple — and cheap — enough: protect assets, avoid probate, all just for the price of a deed and a recording fee. But as the old saying goes, “If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.”

f you’re like most people, you probably have a list of reasons why you haven’t established your estate plan.

It is estimated that about five million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, and about 360,000 people are newly diagnosed each year.

By Linda T. Cammuso Until now, Massachusetts residents were prohibited from providing direct financial support for the care of a surviving pet upon the owner’s...

While more people do estate planning earlier in their lifetimes today, there are many who have yet to take that important step.

By Linda T. Cammuso Choosing the personal representative (the new term in Massachusetts for “executor”) of your estate is one of the most important decisions...

Most people name a beneficiary when they open the account and designate a spouse or children. Therefore, when they die, the money goes to a spouse or the children. Sounds easy, right? (Not so fast).

By Linda T. Cammuso Consider the following scenarios: •“My Medicare days are running out and I still need more rehab; what do I do now?” •“My mother...