On behalf of Cushing & Dolan, P.C. | Feb 4, 2020 | Estate Planning
When thinking about the tools they can use to express their end-of-life wishes, some people may wave off the idea of using a trust. However, this estate planning tool is not just for the substantially wealthy. Living trusts can help any Massachusetts resident...
On behalf of Cushing & Dolan, P.C. | Jan 23, 2020 | Estate Planning
Many Massachusetts residents have pets that they consider part of their family. Some may love their pets as much as their children, and others may only have pets to dote on. Whatever the case, most pet owners do not want anything negative to happen to their...
On behalf of Cushing & Dolan, P.C. | Jan 23, 2015 | Estate Planning
The rich and famous have access to the best lawyers in the country, so it always comes as a surprise when celebrities end up having error-ridden estate plans. Here are two recent examples of this: When Robin Williams passed away in August, he left behind three...
On behalf of Cushing & Dolan, P.C. | Jan 15, 2015 | Estate Planning
If you have already have an estate plan in place, that’s great. It means you have taken the time out of your busy life to plan for something we would all rather not think about: our eventual death. However, if it has been a few years since you put your estate...
On behalf of Cushing & Dolan, P.C. | Mar 21, 2014 | Estate Planning
In an action that affects Massachusetts residents and citizens all across the country, Congress passed the American Tax Relief Act of 2012. Included in that law are provisions for transfer taxes or taxes on an estate. Under the new tax law, credit shelter trusts will...
On behalf of Cushing & Dolan, P.C. | Jan 13, 2014 | Estate Planning
In the first part of this post, we noted how easy it can be to overlook even the most basic estate planning steps. Even for a lawyer, such as the character of Matthew Crawley on “Downton Abbey,” getting a proper will in place proved to be not at all...
On behalf of Cushing & Dolan, P.C. | Jan 6, 2014 | Estate Planning
“Walking the talk” is a current phrase for an age-old reality. It is all too easy, in the abstract, to say people should take a given action. It is often more difficult, however, to actually follow through and do so. Sometimes this is simply due to human...
On behalf of Cushing & Dolan, P.C. | Nov 18, 2013 | Estate Planning
In the first part of this post on the basics of estate planning, we focused on the documents that people should put in place to provide structure and guidance for health care decisions. That guidance and structure is crucial in situations when someone is no longer...
On behalf of Cushing & Dolan, P.C. | Oct 28, 2013 | Estate Planning
With Game 5 of the World Series set for tonight, Red Sox fans in New England and across the nation will be turning their thoughts once again to the baseball diamond. As important as the game is, it is not life or death. But given the rich literature about baseball, it...
On behalf of Cushing & Dolan, P.C. | Apr 29, 2013 | Estate Planning
In recent years, Congressional action on esate taxes has focused on raising the exemption amount. The changes have increased the amount of assets that can be excluded from the federal estate tax. Individuals can now pass along up to $5.25 million without tax...
