Balancing the needs of a multi-generational blended family with your own wishes can be a complicated task, especially when it comes to estate planning. With a majority of Americans not only marrying once, but twice, three or even four times during their lives, it is a challenge that will come to many. Even when blended family members get along, estate planning can be complicated. The potential for acrimony among Read More
More About Your Estate Plan
The revocable living trust is the basic building block of most estate plans. It’s the tool that allows your estate to avoid the expense, delay, and uncertainty of probate court, and it is the tool that can hold just about any of your assets. While revocable living trusts are ubiquitous in the world of estate planning, it seems that many people are still confused about them, so we are going to clear up a few commonly Read More
The Straight Scoop on the New Tax Law and Your Estate Plan
Tax laws are confusing on a good day… What you can deduct… What you have to claim… And with all the recent changes to the laws, it’s almost impossible to know if you’re doing the right thing. We’re hoping this will help. Here’s the straight scoop on how the new federal tax law affects your estate plan (Important Note: these are changes to the federal tax laws – Massachusetts tax laws, including the Massachusetts Read More
“Happy Holidays From Your Acton Estate Planning Lawyer!” – How’s Your Estate Plan?
By David Feakes, Acton Estate Planning Lawyer and Personal Family Lawyer. The end of the year is always a good time to reassess where we are financially… Plan for the future… Correct past mistakes… And, most importantly, change course if needed. This year, a review of your estate plan is more vital than ever. The resurrection of the federal estate tax and generation-skipping transfer tax (GST) in 2011, the Read More
Are You Ready for the 2011 Tax Changes?
If ever there was a time to call your estate planning or tax attorney, now is that time. The tax cuts instituted by the Bush administration in 2001 and 2003 are set to expire in 2011 unless Congress does something to stop it before the end of this year. There are many proposed bills up for discussion right now but it’s anyone’s guess which, if any, will be passed in time. If you are a single person earning Read More