Categories for Trusts and Estates
Business Not Quite as Usual: How the Pandemic Impacts Your Legal Case
May 26, 2020 8:00 am
Life has never felt more uncertain. Many brick-and-mortar businesses are closed, most schools have called it an early summer and may go completely virtual this fall, elective medical procedures are postponed indefinitely, and millions have been laid off from work.
Here at Mountain Dearborn, although our physical office is not open for in-person client visits, we are making progress on our clients’ cases via virtual meetings and conference calls, and we’re staying current with COVID-19 updates from the courts, the legislature, and the Governor’s office.
Here’s what you can expect if you need legal assistance:
Residential Real Estate and Commercial Lending: The Markets Are Still Open VirtuallyAre you looking for a home to buy ...
Your COVID-19 “Silver Linings Playbook”: How to Make the Best of Downtime and Plan Ahead
April 21, 2020 11:15 am
Your lawyers at Mountain Dearborn hope that you and yours are staying safe and well. We continue to serve our clients remotely by holding virtual meetings, drafting estate planning documents, and e-filing probate forms. We are also e-filing estate and fiduciary income tax returns.
Taking a page from the film Silver Linings Playbook, this month we share a few ideas for how to take advantage of shelter-at-home downtime, as well as answer your most pressing estate planning questions.
The Silver Linings1. Reflect on what’s really important to you during this slow-down. Find a personal lesson to carry into the future. Do you wish to spend more time with your children? Do ...
7 Resolutions to Get Your Legal House in Order for a Great 2020
January 17, 2020 12:10 pm
Welcome to a brand-new decade! It’s halfway through January, and we hope you’ve already made progress on your life-changing resolutions for the coming year. Here are a few recommendations from our colleagues at Mountain, Dearborn & Whiting for law-related resolutions that you can add to your list—now, or anytime this year:
1. Katherine Bagdis, Partner, Litigation and Family Law: If you “popped the question” over the holidays, now is a good time to consider whether you and your soon-to-be spouse should execute a prenuptial agreement prior to the wedding.
2. Robin DeAugustinis, Partner, Commercial Lending and Real Estate Law: If you haven’t already done so, please execute and record a Declaration of Homestead ...
My Big Fat Message About Holiday Gifts
December 16, 2019 6:38 pm
Have you completed your holiday shopping? For some people, the shopping season starts in August; others (including me) still have a few more days before the deadline. Choosing the right gift can be tricky—a book? a Roomba? a gift card (the easy way out)? Or how about a real surprise, as in the 2002 romcom My Big Fat Greek Wedding? In the film, Nia Vardalos, as Fotoula Portokalos, and her fiancé receive her parents’ wedding gift in advance of the holidays—a new home!
I’ll save the gift and estate tax issues that result from such a present for another blog post. Here, let’s take a closer looks at a different type of end-of-year gifting that people ...
Nina T. Dow Recognized by Super Lawyers
October 18, 2019 8:00 am
Attorney Nina T. Dow of Mountain, Dearborn & Whiting is among the Massachusetts Super Lawyers and Rising Stars for 2019. Specializing in estate and tax planning, she joined the firm in 2018.
An associate who works closely with Attorney Ann K. Molloy, Nina enjoys the challenge of helping clients reach their unique estate planning objectives in a tax-efficient manner. She also advises clients on charitable giving, special needs trusts, Medicaid planning, trust and estate administration, and the preparation of estate and fiduciary income tax returns. She is a regular contributor to Mountain Dearborn’s Side Bar Blog.
Nina holds a J.D. from Suffolk University School of ...
Lessons from “Derry Girls” About Estate Planning for the Parents Next Door
August 1, 2019 8:00 am
Yes, it’s still summer. But public school here in Worcester starts in less than a month (August 26). To ease the transition, I highly recommend the charming Netflix comedy series, Derry Girls, which explores the lives of four teenaged gals and one lad who attend a female Catholic school in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, during the 1990s. You must watch the show to understand why the boy in the group is allowed to attend an all-girls school.
Not only will it make you laugh—you’ll learn a bit about estate planning, even though the children and their families are not at all wealthy. When the kids hear of a school trip to Paris (Season 1, Episode 2), they quickly ...
For Love of Lassie: Pet Trusts Aren’t Just for the Wealthy
April 11, 2019 12:20 pm
We love our pets. From Lassie to Garfield, pop culture has thrived on stories about bonds between humans and our furry friends. Today, as we celebrate National Pet Day, people feel closer than ever to their favorite animals. A 2011 survey showed that dog owners, in particular, considered their pets to be just as important as family members, treating them with the same level of care and discipline as their children.
Some of the rich and famous consider their pets even more important than family. Remember Leona Helmsley? The New York real estate tycoon left $12 million to her Maltese dog, Trouble, when she died in 2007—more than she left two of her grandchildren, whom she ...
Buying Your First Home? 12 Tips & Traps
March 21, 2019 8:00 am
It’s finally March, the first month of spring and the start of house-hunting season. Buying your first home is a big deal. It’s a large financial investment, and it’s often an emotional commitment. No surprise that trying to navigate the homebuying maze can be a source of tension between you and a loved one. To avoid those pitfalls, consider hiring a good real estate lawyer who can make the process much easier for all involved. We’ve had many clients and friends say, after the fact, “I wish I’d hired a lawyer” or “I am so glad we hired a lawyer.”
Whether or not you choose to have a real estate attorney represent you, here are some tips ...
Mountain Dearborn Prevails in SJC Decision to Protect Spouses Who Are Left Out of Wills
January 11, 2019 12:19 pm
A January 8th decision by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) supported the claim of a second wife, represented by Mountain Dearborn, who sought to receive her legal share of the real estate that her husband left to his four children. The case highlights the importance of understanding the legal consequences of marriage, especially when you have children from a prior relationship.
When you marry in Massachusetts, your spouse automatically becomes entitled to receive certain rights and benefits, unless both parties agree otherwise. For instance, your spouse automatically becomes the beneficiary of any qualified retirement plan which you then have, or to which you begin contributing, during the marriage, such as a 401k or 403b plan. You ...
Want to Avoid Politics at Thanksgiving? Try This Important Conversation
November 16, 2018 4:38 pm
Ah, Thanksgiving—a time when families gather, usually at one table, for good food, good cheer and—well, maybe not always—good conversation. Politics is a non-starter for many families. So this year, instead of fighting across the political divide, why not talk about something that could actually help your family, emotionally and financially?
Having the family all together presents a golden opportunity to discuss an important issue: estate planning. True, this isn’t always an easy discussion (though we hope it’s easier than politics). As a parent, you may worry about discussing your mortality with your children. As a son or daughter, you may worry that your parents might think you’re greedy. But more often than not, parents and children alike are ...