How 23andMe Results Can Shake Up Probate if You Don’t Have a Will
DNA test kits like 23andMe and Ancestry have become a popular way to discover your heritage, to learn about potential health risks, and even to find out whether you have a [...]
Estate Planning Among Millennials Is on the Rise—for Some Very Good Reasons
I’ve always been fascinated by how generations differ. I’m an “old school” or “early” Millennial: a traditionalist with a modern twist. We Millennials (born between 1981-1995) typically were raised by at [...]
A Tale of Two Cultures: How You Think About Estate Planning Depends on Where You Come From
As an estate planning lawyer raised in the United States by two parents who grew up in Lebanon, I am acutely aware of stark cultural differences between those countries when it comes [...]
Estate Planning Lesson from “Dead to Me”: Don’t Wait to Name a Guardian for Your Minor Children
Have you run out of good shows to binge watch during these long winter months in Covid Time? If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend the Netflix series Dead to [...]
Lessons from “Derry Girls” About Estate Planning for the Parents Next Door
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, [...]
Mountain Dearborn Prevails in SJC Decision to Protect Spouses Who Are Left Out of Wills
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 [...]
Want to Avoid Politics at Thanksgiving? Try This Important Conversation
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 [...]
Lessons from “Lady Bird”: Four Reasons Why You Need a Will to Determine Who Gets What
Lady Bird is my hands-down favorite film this year. Like the protagonist, I spent my formative years in Catholic schools. The movie prompted fond memories of plaid uniforms, cotton knee socks that [...]
How I Know That Florence Foster Jenkins Did Not Consult Her Estate Planning Attorney
A New York City socialite, heiress to a massive fortune, Florence Foster Jenkins blindly took a huge risk when she attempted to change her will—if the movie version of her story is [...]
