Do you have a Leave It to Beaver family -- two opposite-gender parents, one or more kids, all healthy and thriving? If so, you can probably use an pretty standard, off-the-shelf estate plan. But if not, it's not as simple and you have a lot of company.
Read MoreTopics: Estate Planning, second marriage
While the goals of attorneys and their clients are supposed to be aligned, often they are not, or at least not completely. I've been thinking about what this means in the field of estate planning and how we can better serve our clients.To lay the groundwork, here are the premises I'm working with:
Read MoreTopics: long-term care planning, Estate Planning, second marriage
Topics: incapacity, Estate Planning, second marriage, probate
For a long list of reasons, we recommend that all seniors contemplating marriage enter into a prenuptial agreement. Such agreements don't just govern what would happen to their property and income in the event of divorce, but also who is responsible for various living expenses, including maintenance of insurance, and what will happen to each spouse's property upon their death.
While men and women getting married at a younger age often have little or no assets to begin with and create an estate and family together, older newlyweds are more likely bring with them both children and property accumulated over a lifetime of work—often, with a predeceased spouse. Without planning, assets can easily end up paying for a new spouse's long-term care or pass to the family of the surviving spouse, rather than to the children and grandchildren of the first spouse who passes away.
Topics: long-term care planning, MassHealth, Estate Planning, second marriage
Have estate planning questions? If so, read: Get Your Ducks in a Row
