Tag Archive: wills
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 ...
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 ...
Lessons from “Lady Bird”: Four Reasons Why You Need a Will to Determine Who Gets What
September 14, 2018 2:55 pm
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 never sagged, and recitations of prepositions (I can still rattle off the list to this day), as well as a renewed appreciation for my strong spelling skills and ability to write in cursive (now rare talents) that those 13 years gave me.
Aside from the trip down memory lane, the film also fascinates me as an estate planning lawyer, because it raises important reasons for “getting a will.”
Heirs ApparentIn one scene, the film’s protagonist, Christine McPherson (Saoirse [Shur-sa] Ronan) talks with ...
How I Know That Florence Foster Jenkins Did Not Consult Her Estate Planning Attorney
March 23, 2018 3:28 pmA 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 to be believed. I’m a fan of Meryl Streep, who plays the title role; she’s a perfect mixture of beauty (those cheekbones!) and brains (degrees from Vassar and Yale).
My Amazon Prime Video account was suffering from neglect, so recently I got cozy and streamed the comedy-biography, Florence Foster Jenkins, for which Streep received an Oscar nomination.
Florence craves fame as a singer, but early in the film it becomes—well—loud and clear that her singing voice is music to nobody’s ears. Using her connections, ...
