Estate planning should encompass far more than simply deciding what will happen to your estate assets when you are gone. In fact, a well thought out estate plan can help those assets grow, protect you and your assets in the event of incapacity, and continue to provide for your loved ones when you are gone. The key to creating a comprehensive, and successful, estate plan that accomplishes all of these goals is to work closely with an experienced estate planning attorney.
At the Wakefield, Massachusetts law firm of DeBruyckere Law Offices we have dedicated our law practice to helping people just like you create an estate plan that reflects their needs, goals, and wishes. It would, therefore, be our honor to help you create your personal estate plan and to develop an ongoing relationship that will allow us to continue to help you with your future estate planning needs.
The History of Wakefield, Massachusetts
Like many New England towns, Wakefield, Massachusetts has a long and colorful history dating back to the early 1600s. The town now known as Wakefield was originally known as Lynn Village when it was settled back in 1638. Not long after, in 1644, the town divided into the towns of Lynn and Reading. Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, saw mills operated in the area along the Mill and Saugus Rivers. The community was a farming community with wild pigeons, wild turkeys “exceedingly fat, sweet and in abundance, fish in the rivers and ponds, grapes, blackberries, and blueberries in great quantities.”
By the late 18th century, the town was essentially split into three separate and distinct parishes known as the First Parish (Wakefield), the Second Parish (North Reading) and the Third Parish (Reading). The First Parish was both the oldest and largest; however, politically speaking the other two Parishes tended to see eye to eye and, therefore, vote together on important government issues. Because the combined votes of the Second and Third Parishes outnumbered those of the First Parrish, the First Parrish was effectively denied a voice in town politics. Not surprisingly, the First Parrish began to lobby for separation. Shortly before the War of 1812 that request was granted and the First Parrish officially became the town of South Reading.
The town of South Reading remained a rural farming community until the Boston and Maine Railroad came to town in 1845, forever changing the town’s landscape and doubling the population from 1,600 to 3,200 in 15 years. The easy access provided by the railroad also attracted businesses such as the Boston and Maine Foundry Company and the phenomenally successful Wakefield rattan company, both of which were owned by Cyrus Wakefield. Located just ten miles north of Boston, the town soon evolved from a farming community to a manufacturing town. After Wakefield financed the cost of building a new town hall in 1868, the town’s name was changed to Wakefield.
Wakefield, Massachusetts Today
During the 20th century, the town of Wakefield continued to grow, aided by the construction of Route 128 along the north edge of town. By the turn of the 21st century, the town of Wakefield had grown to close to 25,000 residents. Wakefield’s proximity to Boston, however, means it is included in the Boston metropolitan area which has a population of 4.7 million people.
Residents of Wakefield can take part in water activities on Lake Quannapowitt or simply enjoy the town common which serves as the town’s central park and which is located along the southern edge of the lake. During the summer months, residents and visitors alike can also catch the Concerts on the Common series (July through September) or the Festival by the Lake (held in June). Walkers and joggers circle Lake Quannapowitt’s shores year round, and in the warmer months, boaters set sail from the nation’s oldest inland yacht club. The town of Wakefield has managed to both preserve its long and colorful history while also embracing the growth of the area and the changes that brings. Residents of Wakefield point to the quality schools, thriving small businesses, and overall sense of community as reasons they choose to live in the town.
DeBruyckere Law Offices in the Wakefield Community
The attorneys and staff at DeBruyckere Law Offices are proud to be part of the Wakefield, Massachusetts community and helping residents of the community with legal issues relating to wills, trusts, and estates, incapacity planning, retirement planning, and other closely related matters. Our goal has always been to create life-long relationships with our clients because to us, our clients are more than just clients — they are our friends and neighbors as well.
We understand that when you create an estate plan you may need to divulge highly personal, and often sensitive, information to your attorney. By treating each client as an individual, and forging lasting relationship with each client, our goal is to create a trusting attorney-client relationship that will make sharing confidential information much easier for you. It also allows us to help you create a more personalized estate plan that truly reflects your estate planning goals and wishes.
Because estate planning is an ongoing process, the relationships we create with our clients are critical to ensuring that our clients’ estate plans are updated as needed. The needs, goals, and wishes you have for your estate plan when you are just starting out in the adult world will undoubtedly change as you pass through the various stages of your life. Initially, you may only need a basic estate plan that focuses on a Last Will and Testament to distribute your modest estate assets.
It won’t be long, however, before you find that you also want to protect your fledgling family and the financial investments you have started to make. As such, you may need to add an assets protection component as well as discuss incapacity planning with your estate planning attorney. At some point, you will likely need to retirement planning, Medicaid planning, and even funeral planning into your comprehensive estate plan as well. At the Wakefield law firm of DeBruyckere Law Offices our desire is to be with you throughout your life’s journey and to contribute to protecting you, your assets, and your loved ones along that journey.
Contact Our Firm to Get Started on Your Estate Plan
If you have estate planning questions or concerns, or would like to get started creating your estate plan, contact the experienced Wakefield, Massachusetts estate planning attorneys at DeBruyckere Law Offices by calling (978) 969-0331.
