Legally speaking, unmarried couples are not "together." You can live together for 20 years, but, unless you officially tie the knot, the state does not care. This can lead to a lot of issues when couples do not draft an estate plan or write out a will. It may mean...
Wills
Handwritten wills lead to a lot of problems
On Behalf of Cushing & Dolan, P.C. | Apr 10, 2019 | Wills
It used to be that all wills were written by hand. Today, though, most are typed out. Often, you have both electronic copies and paper copies. There are a lot of reasons for this change -- the rise in computer technology over the decades not being least among them --...
Writing a will when you had children later in life
On Behalf of Cushing & Dolan, P.C. | Mar 27, 2019 | Wills
When writing a will and doing estate planning in general, the age of your heirs makes a dramatic difference in how you plan. This is one reason why it's so important to update the plan moving forward. For instance, when your heirs are minors, you may want to decide...
Beneficiary designations are part of estate planning
On Behalf of Cushing & Dolan, P.C. | Mar 11, 2019 | Wills
Do you assume that estate planning essentially just means writing out a will that says which one of your heirs gets which assets? That's part of the process, but it's definitely not the entire process. You need to fulfill multiple steps and consider the ways that some...
Should you use an oral will?
On Behalf of Cushing & Dolan, P.C. | Mar 5, 2019 | Wills
Traditionally, a will is a written document that is drafted and filed long before you actually pass away, and your heirs need to use it. However, you may have also considered simply using an oral will to save yourself these steps. Is it a good idea? Technically, you...
Updating your will in response to life changes
On Behalf of Cushing & Dolan, P.C. | Feb 14, 2019 | Wills
People make a lot of mistakes when they do their estate planning, but one of the most common ones is that they don't do it often enough. They make the plan, but they fail to update it or look at it again. They simply trust that it's going to work. It might, but this...
5 key estate planning steps
On Behalf of Cushing & Dolan, P.C. | Feb 8, 2019 | Wills
Writing a will and drafting an estate plan is something that you want to take very seriously. It has a drastic impact on your family after you pass away. With that in mind, here are five key steps: Choose who you want to leave your assets to. These individuals are...
What makes for a legally-binding will in Massachusetts?
On Behalf of Cushing & Dolan, P.C. | Jan 25, 2019 | Wills
One of the worst mistakes you can make in life -- from an estate planning perspective -- is to try to draft a last will and testament by yourself. There are just too many pitfalls that the untrained testator can experience when trying to draft a will without...
What does the law say about wills in Massachusetts?
On Behalf of Cushing & Dolan, P.C. | Nov 23, 2018 | Wills
No matter who you are, if you're an adult, it's to you and your family's benefit to draft and execute a legally valid last will and testament. Indeed, your will is one of the most vital documents in your estate planning arsenal. However, if you don't create your will...
Understanding the details of a testamentary trust
On Behalf of Cushing & Dolan, P.C. | Nov 14, 2018 | Wills
There are many trusts to choose from when you are going through the process of planning your estate. Learning about all of them can feel time-consuming and overwhelming. However, it is important to do so in order to make the best decision for your estate and...
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