• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • WHO WE ARE
    • About Our Firm
    • Attorney and Staff Profiles
    • News and Events
  • Areas We Serve
    • Essex County, MA
      • Andover
      • North Andover
    • Hillsborough County, NH
      • Manchester
      • Nashua
    • Middlesex County, MA
      • Concord
      • Lexington
      • Wakefield
      • Winchester
      • Woburn
    • Rockingham County, NH
      • Exeter
      • Londonderry
      • Salem
  • Services
    • Asset & Business Planning
    • Elder Law & Medicaid Services
    • Estate And Gift Tax Figures
    • Family-Owned Businesses & Farms
    • Legacy Planning Services
    • LGBTQ Estate Planning
    • Loss Of A Loved One
    • Pet Planning
    • Power Of Attorney
    • Probate and Trust Administration
    • SECURE Act
    • Special Needs Planning
    • Young Families
  • Elder Law
    • Coping with Alzheimer’s
    • Hospice Care
    • Medicaid Planning
    • Nursing Home Planning
  • Resources
    • Elder Law
      • Elder Law & Medicaid Definitions
      • Elder law reports
      • Elder Law Resources
        • Elder Law Resources – Londonderry, New Hampshire
        • Elder Law Resources North Andover, Massachusetts
        • Nashua, New Hampshire Elder Law Resources
        • Woburn, MA Elder Law Resources
    • Estate Planning
      • Estate Planning Articles
      • Estate and Gift Tax Figures
      • Estate Planning Checkup
      • Estate Planning Definitions
      • Estate Planning Reports
        • Advanced Estate Planning
        • Basic Estate Planning
        • Estate Planning for Niches
        • Trust Administration
      • Incapacity Planning Definitions
      • Is Your Estate Plan Outdated?
      • Top 10 Estate and Legacy Planning Techniques
    • Free Estate Planning Worksheet
    • Free Seminars
    • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Asset Protection Planning
      • Business Planning
      • Charitable Gifting
      • Estate Planning
      • Elder Law
      • Frequently Asked Questions for Families Without an Estate Plan
      • Incapacity Planning
      • Legacy Wealth Planning
      • LGBTQ Estate Planning
      • Medicaid Planning
      • Trust Administration & Probate
      • Wills and Trusts
    • Newsletters
    • Pre Consultation Form
    • Presentations
    • Probate and Trust Administration
      • Bereavement Resources
      • How to Know if You Need Extra Help With Your Grieving
      • Loss Of A Loved One
      • Probate Resources
        • Nashua, New Hampshire Probate Resources
        • Probate Resources – Londonderry, New Hampshire
        • Probate Resources – North Andover, MA
        • Probate Resources – Wakefield, Massachusetts
        • Woburn, MA Probate Resources
      • The Mourner’s Bill of Rights
      • Things You Need To Do When a Loved One Passes Away With a Trust
      • Things You Need To Do When a Loved One Passes Away With a Will
      • Trust Administration & Probate Definitions
    • Published Books
  • Live Seminars
    • Online Seminars
    • In-Person Seminars
  • Videos
  • Contact Us
  • Blog
  • Reviews
    • Our Reviews
    • Review Us

DeBruyckere Law Offices, PC

Serving Southern New Hampshire & Essex Country, Massachussetts

Call us today(603) 894-4141

(978) 969-0331

Online Seminars
Attend Free Seminar
Home » Estate Planning » Londonderry Estate Planning Facts

Londonderry Estate Planning Facts

April 21, 2020Estate Planning

Londonderry estate planning attorneys

If you are among the millions of Americans who do not have an estate plan in place yet, there is no time like the present to get started. To provide some encouragement, the Londonderry estate planning attorneys at DeBruyckere Law Offices explain ten important estate planning facts.

  1. Every adult can benefit from an estate plan. You should not wait until you reach a desired net worth and/or until you have a family to start estate planning. You should already have a plan in place when you reach these life goals.
  2. The state will create a plan for you if you fail to create one.  If you pass away without so much as a basic estate plan in place, the state will effectively create that plan for you using the state intestate succession laws. Only close family members will inherit from your estate, leaving out an unmarried partner, close friends, and charities.
  3. You give up the ability to decide who will administer your estate if you don’t create an estate plan. Whether you use a Will or a trust to distribute your estate assets, an important benefit is the ability to decide who will oversee that process by appointing an Executor in your Will or a Trustee in your trust.
  4. Without an estate plan in place, someone not of your choosing could wind up caring for your minor children and the inheritance you left them. For the parents of young children, one of the most important benefits to executing a Will is found in the only official opportunity to nominate a guardian for those children if one is ever needed. Likewise, an estate plan lets a parent choose a Trustee to manage a child’s inheritance, held in trust, until the child is old enough to receive the inheritance directly.
  5. Estate planning can protect your assets from a variety of threats.  Divorce, taxes, and long-term care costs are just a few of the potential threats to your assets. An irrevocable trust created as part of a comprehensive asset protection component can go a long way toward preventing the loss of assets.
  6. You can also protect your children from poor financial management decisions through you your own estate planning strategies.  Whether your adult child is still relatively young, or just a spendthrift, handing over a significant lump sum inheritance may not be wise. A trust can be used to stagger the distribution of that inheritance and/or to dictate how the money can be used by the beneficiary.
  7. For unmarried couples, an estate plan can provide rights and protections that the law fails to provide.  More and more couples are waiting to get married, or foregoing marriage altogether. Nevertheless, they are just as committed to each other as a traditional married couple. Unfortunately, the law continues to draw a sharp line between a legally married couple and one that is not when it comes to rights and protections. The good news is that an estate plan can confer those rights and protections on your partner.
  8. Estate planning ensures that your wishes will be honored, both while you are alive and after you are gone.  If you suffer a period of incapacity, someone will need to take over control of your assets and make medical decisions for you. In the absence of estate planning documents that dictate who those people will be, a judge may have to decide for you. Likewise, if you have strong feelings regarding how your remains are handled after you are gone, only a comprehensive estate plan can ensure that those wishes are honored.
  9. The DIY route will likely cost your loved ones considerably more time and money than it saves you.  It may be tempting to use DIY documents when creating your estate plan; however, those documents are often riddled with errors and omissions that will ultimately cost your loved ones much more time and money than you saved when it comes time to actually rely on those documents.
  10. Updating your estate plan is essential to ensure that it works as intended.  Creating an estate plan is essential. Updating it on a routine basis and when life events dictate is equally important to ensure that it works as you intend.

Contact Londonderry Estate Planning Attorneys

For more information, please join us for an upcoming FREE seminar. If you have additional questions about estate planning, contact the Londonderry estate planning attorneys at DeBruyckere Law Offices by calling (603) 894-4141 or (978) 969-0331 to schedule an appointment.

Should I use a Will or a trust to distribute my assets?

Most people start with a Will; however, as your estate and your family grow you may decide that a trust is a better option. Talk to your estate planning attorney about which is best for your situation.

What is a pour-over Will?

If you do decide to use a trust to distribute your assets, you should still have a valid pour-over Will in place. As the name implies, a pour-over Will “pours” any over-looked or recently acquired assets “over” into your trust upon your death to ensure that they are not unintentionally left out.

How often should I update my estate plan?

During your working years, you should conduct a routine review every three to five years. After you retire, you may be able to move to a review every five to eight years. Make sure you also update your plan when life events dictate.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Daniel DeBruyckere
Daniel DeBruyckere
Attorney Daniel A. DeBruyckere has been practicing law in New Hampshire and Massachusetts since 1998, and has helped hundreds of clients with their estate planning and elder care issues. He is very well respected in the area of estate planning, probate, trust administration, elder law issues, and business planning.
Daniel DeBruyckere
Latest posts by Daniel DeBruyckere (see all)
  • 5 Things You Should Know about Elder Law - March 2, 2021
  • Fewer People Have an Estate Plan in Place Than in Years Past - February 16, 2021
  • Biden Administration Could Reduce Estate Tax Exclusion - February 1, 2021

Other Articles You May Find Useful

Londonderry estate planning attorneys
Fewer People Have an Estate Plan in Place Than in Years Past
Woburn estate planning attorneys
Estate Planning for Singles
Nashua estate planning attorneys
Concerned about Leaving a Large Inheritance? A Trust May Be the Solution
Nashua estate planning attorneys
If You Are a Parent Estate Planning Is Essential
estate planning
Updating Your Plan: Powers of Attorney
tax planning
Tax Planning for 2021

DeBruyckere Law Offices, PC

Download our free Estate Planning Worksheet

There's a lot that goes into setting up a comprehensive estate plan, but with our FREE worksheet, you'll be one step closer to getting yourself and your family on the path to a secure and happy future.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Please fill out the form below:
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkdin
  • Youtube

Blog Subscribe

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Testimonials

I felt complete trust and confidence in Dan DeBruyckere and his staff. They have a caring, low-key approach and there is no pressure to add products to the estate plan; rather he makes me aware of changes in the law, etc. I always learn something new to assist me in our planning!

LN

Your seminar was the only seminar we attended without financial advisors wanting to invest our money instead of protecting it! The information this firm provided was easy to understand even though it is a difficult topic. Thank you for all of your help!

HR

We both felt so comfortable in they way our Estate Planning was handled. We felt like someone was watching out for our best interest. Everyone we worked with at the firm was thorough, and explained everything in a way where we could walk away feeling like everything was complete.

RS

A truly great experience all the way through. Felt like we were a part of the family! Thank you.

LW

We could not have picked a more qualified law firm. Everyone that we came in contact with made us feel at ease.

Happy Client

We were very impressed with the statements put forth by Dan at the Seminar. We were impressed even more by their down to earth approach and the efficiency they accomplished it all.

Charles

Londonderry Office

Londonderry Office
One Verani Way
Londonderry, NH 03053
Phone: (603) 894-4141

See Larger Map Get Directions

Nashua Office

Nashua Office
76 Northeastern Boulevard, Unit 31B
Nashua, NH 03062
Phone: (603) 894-4141

See Larger Map Get Directions

North Andover Office

North Andover Office
231 Sutton St, Suite 1B
North Andover, MA 01845
Phone: (978) 686-4645

See Larger Map Get Directions

Woburn Office

Woburn Office
444 Washington Street, Suite 503
Woburn, MA 01801
Phone: (978) 969-0331

See Larger Map Get Directions

By Appointment Only

BEVERLY OFFICE

Beverly Office
900 Cummings Center Suite 204-U
Beverly, MA 01915
Phone: (978) 969-0331

See Larger Map Get Directions

Office Hours

Monday9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Map

dadlawoffices_sidbr_map
  • Advantages of Working With Our Firm
  • About The American Academy
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
  • Contact Us

Connect with Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkdin
  • Youtube
footer-logo

© 2021 DeBruyckere Law Offices
All Right Reseved.

Attorney Advertisement

© 2021 American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.