Written by Sandra Deluca, MSW, LICSW, C-ASWCM, Alder Marketing President - New England

For many, getting the legal paperwork right feels like the finish line. The will is signed. The healthcare proxy is in place....

By Guest Author: Michelle Cox, Owner of & Following Seas, LLC

We’ve all heard the advice: use strong, complex passwords. Include numbers, symbols, uppercase letters. Don’t reuse them. Change them regularly. On paper, it makes sense. In practice, it’s difficult to maintain.

The average person now...

By: Daniel M. Surprenant, Esq., CELA, Managing Partner

I've seen firsthand that one of the most important decisions you'll make when setting up your estate plan is choosing your trustee. This is the person or company you'll trust to manage and distribute your assets according to your...

When an estate plan breaks down after someone dies, the options are limited but not nonexistent. In Massachusetts, you may be able to address certain issues through probate proceedings, trust administration actions, or by resolving disputes among beneficiaries. What can be corrected depends on the documents in place and the nature of...

Erin L. Nunes, Esq., Managing Partner at Surprenant, Beneski & Nunes, P.C.

As a managing partner of a Massachusetts-based estate planning and elder law firm, I often see firsthand the profound impact—both positive and challenging—that inheritances can have on families. The impending "Great Boomer Bequeathment," where trillions of dollars...

Financial planners and estate planners perform different, but complementary, roles. Financial planners assist you in managing wealth during your lifetime. They help assess financial health and goals, review investment strategies, and help make decisions to promote future financial freedom. Retirement and portfolio planning exemplify valuable services provided by financial planners. During times...

By Michelle Cox - Guest Author

We often think about organizing physical documents, like wills, insurance policies, and financial accounts. But today, much of our lives exist online, from email accounts and banking portals to subscriptions, photos, and social media profiles. Over time, these accounts accumulate and hold...

You should involve an estate planning or probate attorney as soon as you notice tension over a will, trust, or inheritance, especially if communication is breaking down or legal duties are being questioned. Early legal guidance can prevent misunderstandings from turning into formal disputes in Massachusetts Probate and Family Court.

When an estate in Massachusetts cannot pay all of its debts, the estate is considered insolvent. In that situation, the personal representative must follow a strict legal order for paying creditors, and some debts may go unpaid. Beneficiaries usually do not receive inheritances until valid claims and expenses are addressed, and in...

By Dan Surprenant, Esq., CELA, Managing Partner

Life Estate Deeds sound simple: You get to live in your house for life, and it passes directly to your children after you're gone. They avoid probate and can even protect your home from nursing home costs. Sounds perfect, right? Not so...