Service is Important to Us

Written by Daniel M. Surprenant, Esq., CELA, Managing Partner, Surprenant & Beneski, P.C.

People will occasionally ask, what makes Surprenant & Beneski different?  That is a great question!  Since there are lots of other estate planning attorneys out there, it can be difficult to differentiate.  We ALL draft documents.  How can that be so much different than the next guy?

It’s the Service.

Our firm is 100% focused on estate planning and elder law. We have extensive experience guiding clients through these processes, which can feel overwhelming. What you may not know is that myself and my sister and co-Managing Partner, Michelle D. Beneski, are 2 of 28 Certified Elder Law Attorneys in the Commonwealth. Which means we were certified after a national exam, peer reviewed with periodic recertification by the National Elder Law Foundation.  Both of us are also on Boston Magazine’s list of “Super Lawyers” for Estate Planning and Elder Law, respectively. That list represents 5% or less of estate planning attorneys in MA. Michelle has her LLM in Taxation and I am a past president of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys Massachusetts chapter. We are proud to have team of attorneys with diverse experience with their own accolades and credentials. For these reasons, we are different and are in a position to provide another level of expertise, knowledge and experience to our clients.  We use this knowledge to help you create and implement a custom plan that reflects the goals of you and your loved ones. 

But it’s the service that really sets our firm apart.  We have built a business model and culture in which we have well-trained and courteous staff who are skilled at walking clients through their planning with clarity and responsiveness.  We have 5 attorneys and a team of support staff with diverse backgrounds.  We have paralegals who focus on drafting documents, some who focus on assisting with Medicaid applications, some who focus on guiding clients through probate, etc., all under the review and guidance of our attorney team. 

Having a dedicated and responsive team allows us to provide good service. Here are some things that set us apart:

  • Typically, we respond to inquiries within 24 hours, Monday through Friday.
  • When a client is going into a nursing home, for example, we can spend the hours needed to walk them, or their loved ones, through the maze of regulations and questions in a difficult time. At  the moment, they may not be as focused on the documents but more appreciative of our hand holding during a stressful process.
  • We have connections to a deep network of community partners. That connection allows our team to provide exceptional referrals for additional resources that our clients may need.
  • Life changes, laws change, circumstances change! We offer a complimentary 3- year review to our clients. This gives us the opportunity to address any concerns and evaluate that estate plans are working for a client’s evolving needs.
  • We collaborate with your team of professionals. It is important that your financial advisor, your CPA and your estate planning attorney are all on the same page. We are happy to partner with your team and facilitate that collaboration.
  • We offer our clients flexibility with a variety of ways to meet. We can meet via zoom, home visits whether in-home, hospital, nursing facility or assisted living, or at one of our three office locations. Evening and weekend appointments are available on request.

We train and focus on a culture of service.  That is why clients come back and refer their loved ones to us.  That is actually one of the reasons why we love what we do!

If you, or someone you love, need to protect assets, minimize estate taxes, keep your estate in your family, protect your children from divorce or creditors, or protect the benefits of a special needs child or grandchild, we invite you to check us out.  We’d love the opportunity to work with you!