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Reluctant to Consult with a Qualified Estate Planning Attorney? Don’t Be!

Whether you are just starting your career or contemplating retirement, you are probably aware that you should be planning for your future. If you find yourself reluctant to do so or procrastinating for reasons you cannot explain — you are not alone. At Surprenant & Beneski, P.C., we have been diligently serving clients in Southeastern Massachusetts for years, we often deal with people who tell us they had to be convinced to contact us. 

Having dealt with this situation many times, we are in a position to assure you that those who commit to estate planning experience immediate relief, even before discussions are complete or documents are drawn up. When you contact our estate planning attorneys, you will be warmly received, and treated with the dignity, respect, and empathy that you deserve.

Reasons People Shy Away from Estate Planning and How We Can Help

Too many individuals and couples are reluctant to begin the process of estate planning because:

They don’t want to confront their own or their loved ones’ mortality

No one likes to contemplate their own death or the deaths of those close to them. Our well-trained and empathic lawyers will help you understand that nothing we face and prepare for is as frightening as that which is hidden from view. Once you begin speaking your worries aloud and making provisions for expected and unexpected potential occurrences, you will likely be bathed in relief.

They are embarrassed not to know what estate planning terms mean

Don’t know what probate is or why so many people are eager to avoid it? Unsure what a living trust is? Afraid of estate taxes but don’t know exactly what they are? Join the club that has millions of members. 

The lack of understanding of these terms is extremely common. Unless people are in the estate planning field themselves or have already been through the process, they are most often unfamiliar with these terms. 

They feel that their assets are too insignificant to require estate planning

Many people who think they have very limited assets are surprised to find out that they have much more than the majority of Americans. Regardless of your financial status, we are eager to help you protect your assets from creditors, predatory investment scams, and excessive taxation. We are also determined to help you provide for loved ones who are:

  • Incapable of managing money
  • Addicted to substances, gambling, or shopping 
  • Disabled and have to preserve their government benefits.

Our wills and trusts attorneys are well-equipped to protect your assets, both during your lifetime and according to your expressed wishes after your death by creating trusts, e.g. spendthrift trusts and special needs trusts to cover the above circumstances.

They don’t want to discuss private family situations

In case you haven’t realized it yet, every family is unique and has its own set of differences. One family may have a special needs child and another has a child struggling with their sobriety. Because of those circumstances, it is important for our attorneys to factor that into your estate plan. Rest assured, at Surprenant & Beneski, your privacy, both personal and financial, will be protected. One thing you can be sure of when you come to Surprenant & Beneski is that your privacy, personal and financial, will be protected. 

We have taken oaths to maintain attorney-client privilege and are legally required to function as fiduciaries who will always act in your best financial interests. We can even help you to create a trust to avoid probate so that your financial information won’t be made public in your will.

They are frightened because they have accumulated debt

All too often, responsible individuals have accumulated debt through no fault of their own. Sometimes, exorbitant medical debts as a result of a catastrophic injury or incapacitating disease are to blame. Other times a terrible fire or natural disaster is the cause. Whatever debt your family is dealing with, our estate planning attorneys will work hard to keep your assets out of creditors’ reach through one or more of the following tactics:

  • Putting your assets in an irrevocable trust
  • Having you make specific beneficiary designations on IRAs, life insurance policies, brokerage accounts, etc.
  • Helping you to have joint ownership of bank accounts with right of survivorship

Contact Our Experienced Estate Planning Attorneys Today

Don’t let fear put your own future and the future of your family in danger. Get in touch with us soon to protect your loved ones and your assets.