Legacy Care Law Firm

Creating a comprehensive estate plan requires you to do more than just decide how your assets should be distributed upon your death. It also requires you to protect those assets while you are alive so that they are still available to pass down upon your death. Unfortunately, many people are unaware of the numerous threats to their assets. Consequently, it does not occur to them to consult with an attorney about those threats. In order to avoid making that mistake yourself, you need to know when … [Read more...] about When Do I Need an Asset Protection Attorney?

Your estate plan can do much more for you than you likely realize. Like many people, you probably envision executing a Last Will and Testament that provides for the distribution of your estate assets when you think about estate planning. Your Will, however, is only the starting point for a comprehensive estate plan. A comprehensive estate plan does provide for the distribution of your estate assets to loved ones after your death; however, it also helps to grow your estate assets during the … [Read more...] about How an Irrevocable Trust Can Help with Asset Protection?

If you have a modest to large estate, or you hope to have one eventually, you need to consider the impact federal gift and estate taxes will have on that estate when you die. Without planning ahead for the possibility that your estate will be subject to the tax, your estate could lose a significant portion of its value to taxation. Ultimately, it will be your beneficiaries who pay the price for your failure to plan ahead. The good news is that there are a number of estate planning tools and … [Read more...] about What Can I Do to Avoid Paying Estate Taxes in Massachusetts?

How do you know when you need a lawyer? More specifically, how do you know when you need a Will and estate lawyer? The average person knows very little about Wills, trusts and estates because there is usually no reason for the average person to need to know much about them. As a result, however, the average person may not recognize the need for a Wills, trust and estate lawyer under a number of circumstances in which one is actually needed. To ensure that you know when a Will and estate lawyer … [Read more...] about 5 Scenarios When You Need a Will and Estate Lawyer

You understand how important it is to have at least a basic estate plan in place. Despite this knowledge, you have yet to sit down with an estate planning attorney and create your estate plan. Moreover, you don’t foresee having the time or money to do so in the near future. Like many people, you may see using a DIY Will as the simple solution to your problem. After all, in the electronic age you can find just about anything on the internet, including “fill-in-the-blank” Last Will and Testament … [Read more...] about The Dangers of Using a DIY Will

One of the most common additions to a well-rounded and comprehensive estate plan is a trust. While there are a number of different types of trusts, one thing all trusts have in common is the need to appoint a Trustee to manage trust assets and administer the trust terms. If you have been appointed as the Trustee of a trust, and you have never served as a Trustee before, you likely have a number of questions relating to your duties and responsibilities. One of the most important of those … [Read more...] about Is a Trustee Personally Liable for Mistakes Made during Trust Administration?

A comprehensive estate plan generally includes additional estate planning tools and strategies beyond a simple Last Will and Testament. Although the tools and strategies you choose to include in your estate plan will depend on your individual goals, needs, and objectives, a common addition to any well drafted estate plan is a trust agreement. Over the last several decades, trusts have evolved to the point where there is a specialized trust for almost any purpose – and if a specialized trust does … [Read more...] about Why You Should Appoint a Professional for Trust Administration

Estate planning requires you to make a number of important decisions along the way to creating a comprehensive estate plan. Ideally, you will work closely with an experienced New Hampshire estate planning attorney when making all of those decisions; however, you will also undoubtedly take some time to contemplate additions to your estate plan yourself. For example, you may have heard of a “family trust” and wondered if you should have one as part of your estate plan. Understanding the basics of … [Read more...] about Should I Create a Family Trust?

Despite understanding the importance of having a comprehensive estate plan in place, over half of all Americans have yet to create one. If you are among the minority and actually have an estate plan in place, you should be proud of the fact that you have taken such an important step. Creating your estate plan, however is only the first step required to ensure that you, your loved ones, and your assets are protected. The next step is to make sure you review your estate from time to time. Knowing … [Read more...] about When Should You Review Your Estate Plan?

The process of estate planning typically involves a wide range of goals that require a variety of tools and strategies to accomplish. For the average person it can be confusing just trying to figure out what components to include in  their estate plan. For example, do you need to include disability planning in your estate plan? As with all other decisions you make during the creation of your estate plan, you should discuss you need for disability planning with your New Hampshire estate … [Read more...] about What Is Disability Planning?