The natural aging process brings with it a number of unwanted changes. As we age, we experience both physical and mental deterioration. We notice things such as difficulty reading without glasses, the inability to walk for long periods of time without rest, and trouble remembering things as clearly as we once did. None of this, however, compares to what Alzheimer’s does to those afflicted with the disease. In recent years, the number of people suffering from Alzheimer’s appears to have grown at … [Read more...]
New Hampshire Ranked #1 Retirement Spot
Whether you are 25 or 55, your retirement should always be something you keep in mind whenever you make major decisions. One of the biggest retirement planning decisions you will make is where you wish to live out your “Golden Years.” For some people, the thought of moving from where they spent their working years is not even a remote consideration. For others, they are counting the years, months, and then days until they can move to paradise and enjoy their retirement years. So where, exactly, … [Read more...]
Beverly Elder Law Attorneys Offer Estate Planning Tips for Your Retirement Years
When it comes to creating a successful estate plan, it is imperative that the plan includes inter-related components that go beyond basic estate planning. Just as your daily life can rarely be divided into need little separate goals and objectives, neither can your estate plan. Retirement planning, for example, should be included in your overall estate plan. Although you may have a stand-alone retirement plan, the major components of that plan should be inter-woven into your estate plan to … [Read more...]
Who Should Be My Trustee?
Although your Last Will and Testament likely serves as the foundation for your estate plan, if you create a comprehensive estate plan it will include a wide range of additional estate planning tools and strategies that are used to accomplish related goals and objectives. One of the most common additions to a well-rounded estate plan is a trust. Trusts are popular, in part, because of the numerous goals you can achieve using a trust. One of the most important decisions you will have to make when … [Read more...]
Do I Have the Right to Contest a Will in Massachusetts?
Losing a family member or close loved one is typically a time filled with heightened emotions and a deep sense of grief. If you are currently going through such a time, the last thing you may want to think about is the practical or legal ramifications of your loss. There are, however, practical and legal aspects to a death that must be addressed. The most important of those is generally probating the decedent’s estate. If the decedent left behind a Last Will and Testament, the probate process … [Read more...]
What Happens to My Assets If I Die Intestate in Massachusetts?
Like most people, you are probable aware of the need to have an estate plan in place. Although there is a long list of reasons why having an estate plan in place is beneficial, one of the most common – and important – reasons is to prevent you from dying intestate. Dying intestate simply means dying without at least a Last Will and Testament in place directing the distribution of your estate assets. To truly understand the importance of creating your estate plan it helps to know what happens to … [Read more...]
How Can Medicaid Attorneys Help Me Protect My Assets?
You may not realize it right now, but there is a very good chance that you will need to qualify for Medicaid benefits at some point in the future. You should be planning for that possibility now though in order to protect your heard-earned assets. How can the need to qualify for Medicaid threaten your assets? The answer to that question can be found in the Medicaid eligibility guidelines that prevent an applicant from owning assets valued at over the program limit – and that limit is very low. … [Read more...]
Are You Prepared for the High Cost of Nursing Home Care?
Like most people, you probably prefer not to think about the possibility that you, or a spouse, will end up in a nursing home at some point later in life. Ignoring the possibility, however, could have serious financial consequences, including the loss of a significant portion of your retirement nest egg. To prevent even the possibility of that happening, you need to plan ahead by including Medicaid planning in your comprehensive estate plan. If you have never before relied on Medicaid for help … [Read more...]
The In-Law Problem — Keeping Assets in the Family
Like most people, when you think about estate planning your first thought is probably focused on the disposition of your assets when you are gone. While this is certainly a primary function of an estate plan, your comprehensive estate plan should do that – and much more. Specifically, your estate plan should also help protect and grow your assets while you are here. If you do not include sufficient asset protection strategies in your estate plan there won’t be anything left to pass down to loved … [Read more...]
What Are Dynasty Trusts?
A comprehensive estate plan generally requires the use of various estate planning strategies and tools that go above and beyond what a simple Last Will and Testament can accomplish. One of the most commonly used tools is a trust agreement. In fact, many people incorporate several trusts into their estate plan because of the numerous and varied goals a trust can help you reach. If you have a moderate to large estate that you wish to keep in the family and protect from any potential threats, you … [Read more...]
