DeBruyckere Law Offices — Communities We Serve — Stoneham, Massachusetts
Taking into account the highly personal and sensitive nature of estate planning, the prospect of selecting an attorney to assist you with the creation of your plan may be a bit daunting. At DeBruyckere Law Offices we understand how important your estate plan is to you as well as how difficult it can be to try and choose the right attorney to help you with your plan. Our goal is to create a lifelong relationship with our Stoneham, Massachusetts clients so that they feel comfortable and confident about the estate plan we create together and about any revisions made to that plan in the future.
Stoneham, Massachusetts
Located just north of Boston, in Middlesex County, the town of Stoneham, Massachusetts covers approximately seven square miles and is home to just over 21,000 residents as of the 2010 Census. As is the case with much of surrounding area, the area now known as Stoneham has a long and rich history.
Situated on the traditional territory of the Wampanoag people, the earliest documented mention of the territory now called Stoneham by European settlors dates to the year 1632. Just two years later in 1634, Stoneham colonists began to settle in the area which, at the time, was considered part of Charlestown. By 1678, there were six families of colonists living in the northeast part of the town. By 1725, the population of the area had increased to include 65 male taxpayers; however, they were miles away from the settlement in Charlestown and could not conveniently reach its church or school. For this reason, the General Court was petitioned to allow Stoneham to become a separate town. Although the initial petition was denied, on December 17, 1725, the General Court passed an act to establish the new township of Stoneham.
Throughout the 19th century, the farming community began to grow and industrialize. The public stagecoach passed through the town, improving transportation and encouraging new residents to settle there. The Industrial Revolution caused the home shoemaking industry in Stoneham to be absorbed into the more than forty shoe manufacturing concerns. Today one only needs to look at the Town Seal to see the importance of shoe manufacturing, tanneries, and box factories to see their importance to Stoneham. The 20th Century brought continued growth and prosperity to Stoneham, turning it into a “bedroom” community of the much larger City of Boston. Today, residents of Stoneham enjoy the benefits of living in a small, close-knit community while not missing out on the shopping, dining, and entertainment offered just a short car ride away in Boston.
DeBruyckere Law Offices in the Stoneham Community
The attorneys and staff at DeBruyckere Law Offices are proud to service the Stoneham, Massachusetts area community. Because estate planning is an ongoing process, we believe we serve our clients best by developing lifelong relationship with them that allow us to be there when life events prompt estate planning changes. We are honored to be part of the community and equally honored to be able to serve the residents who live there.
A successful estate plan requires a solid foundation; however, that foundation must then be built upon and fortified to keep it strong. The plan you create when you are young, single, and just building your estate will not be sufficient to meet your needs later in life when you have a family and a larger estate to consider. Taking the time to review and update your plan is important to ensure that your estate plan reflects the life you have now, not the life you had when you created your initial plan. That initial plan may focus almost entirely on the distribution of your estate assets in the event of your death given that you don’t have additional worries or needs at the time. It won’t be long though before your needs exceed such a simple plan. If you get married, for example, you will undoubtedly want to include your new spouse as a beneficiary in your Last Will and Testament, trust agreement, and/or life insurance policy. When you first become a parent, you will realize the need for incapacity planning within your estate plan to ensure that your child is well cared for in the event of your incapacity. As you build up your estate assets over the years you may also need to consider adding tax avoidance and asset protection strategies and tools into your overall plan. As retirement beckons, you will want to incorporate your retirement plans into your estate plan as well as consider the need for Medicaid planning. Finally, funeral and burial planning as well as advance directives should be added to your estate plan to guarantee that your wishes will be honored at the end of your life.
At DeBruyckere Law Offices, our goal is to be with you every step of the way of your lifetime journey and to provide you with competent and compassionate legal advice and guidance regarding the things that matter most to you – you, your assets, and your loved ones.
Contact Us
If you have estate planning questions, or you wish to get started with your estate plan, please feel free to contact the experienced Stoneham, Massachusetts area estate planning attorneys at DeBruyckere Law Offices by calling (978) 969-0331 to schedule your consultation.
