Next Generation Legacy Management - The Essence of Developing, Managing and Implementing a Plan for Future Generations
Once Removed Episode 13: It’s 5 o’Clock: Do You Know Where Your Will Is? A Lesson From Aretha Franklin
Authorization for Final Disposition
Digital Planning Podcast Episode: Family Office Technology Solutions
Digital Planning Podcast Episode: The Uniform Electronic Estate Planning Documents Act
What is a self-proving affidavit?
The Importance of Beneficiary Designations
The Renoir Spelling Bee
Basics of Estate Planning
The Case of the Laughing Heirs
Protecting Your Estate Plan from Challenges: No-Contest Clause Explained
The Secret Child
Welcome to 'Splitting Heirs'
Interview with Cody Barbo - Digital Planning Podcast
An Executor’s Guide to Administering an Estate
Estate Planning 101: The Five Most Important Clauses for Wills and Trusts
Interview with Lisa Grayson - Digital Planning Podcast
The State of Digital Assets
Global Evolution of Electronic Wills and COVID-19
Everything You Need to Know About Beneficiary Designations
Sharing is caring - How much should you tell your loved ones about your estate plan? After you’ve created your estate plan, it’s important to consider how much information you should disclose to your loved ones about...more
When someone passes away, their family members are often left responsible for handling the decedent’s property – both real and intangible. Many difficulties come with handling the decedent’s intangible property, such as bank...more
Once upon a time, I was a young newlywed. My spouse and I always assumed that because we had no money, no kids, and were married, we were each other’s heirs. We had numerous conversations about how neither of us needed a will...more
Your heirs may not see eye to eye on family circumstances, particularly regarding inheriting your estate. Relationships can change and intensify when you die. Underlying issues can bubble to the surface, creating tensions...more
Many people default to nominating a spouse or a child as personal representative of their estate or trustee of their trust, if they have one. However, when one has neither a spouse nor a child, who should one choose to fill...more
Join Robert F. Morris, Esq. to discuss some important topics such as: - What issues can impact your family and estate plan? - What planning opportunities are available to protect your intent? - What estate,...more
In this episode of “Splitting Heirs” host Warren K. Racusin of Lowenstein’s Trusts & Estates practice is joined by Jeffrey J. Wild, Lowenstein partner and litigator whose practice focuses on fiduciary issues; the Honorable...more
Elvis Has Left the Building - In 1977, when Elvis Presley died (to put a complicated situation very simply), his estate and any future royalties generated by his intellectual property, including his music, passed into a...more
Funding long-term care expenses: What are your options? Few things can derail your estate plan as quickly as unanticipated long-term care (LTC) expenses. Most people will need some form of LTC — such as a nursing home or...more
Picture this: your great aunt has died and left you and your brother each one million dollars, her entire estate, in a will. Great, right? Now imagine that your brother never appreciated your great aunt during her lifetime,...more
It is a common misconception that if a person has a will, there will be no need for court proceedings upon their death. In Massachusetts, however, a will must always be admitted to probate, a process requiring various forms...more
With new and prospective clients, a question that often arises is: “What will happen if I die without a will?” The short answer is this: if you die without a valid will, Massachusetts estate law will create one for you. When...more
Picture this: your family has a longstanding rumor that you are the child of an affair. Not only that, but it is an open secret who your family believes your other parent is. One day, you hear that the possible other parent...more
Occasionally, you may receive conflicting advice from two people – both people you trust, both skilled in their fields. How do you decide what to do?...more
Many of us have fond memories of visiting our grandparents at their summer property, whether at a beach house on Cape Cod or in the middle of the woods in the Berkshires. But what happens to this property once your...more
When a loved one passes away and their estate plan is revealed for the first time, it is common to experience varied emotions, including curiosity, disappointment, and anger. Depending on the beneficial interests or fiduciary...more
You’ve received an inheritance: Now what? If you’ve received, or will soon receive, a significant inheritance, it may be tempting to view it as “found money” that can be spent freely. But unless your current financial plan...more
Losing a parent is difficult. Beyond managing your personal and emotional wellbeing, you may need to settle their affairs and handle certain administrative tasks. But what do you do if your parent left everything to their...more
It is very difficult for many of us to acknowledge that death is, eventually, a certainty for all of us. It’s a topic we’d like to avoid altogether, and it’s something we often avoid planning for because to plan for death is...more
Last week, my colleague Noelle Lussier provided valuable insights into avoiding probate litigation. Building off of that, with a particular emphasis on litigation concerning the validity of Wills and Trusts, one common theme...more
Discussing your estate plan with your adult children can feel like a daunting task. You want your children to be ready for the responsibilities that wealth entails, but you’re not sure you’re ready to disclose your finances...more
Meeting your parent’s new partner for the first time over the holidays can be a stressful experience. Other than having to share your favorite family dessert with this new individual, you might also begin to question how this...more
Grieving the death of a friend or family member is hard enough. Imagine the compounded feelings of realizing that an inheritance you had been promised or otherwise believed would be coming is not materializing. You were...more
So, your sibling is a narcissist. Could this affect your inheritance under your parents’ estate plan? Here are some common intrafamilial disputes and possible strategies to avoid being disinherited as a result of your...more