Jul
26

Our House

Our house is a very, very, very fine house with two cats in the yard, Life used to be so hard, Now everything is easy …… (Crosby, Stills and Nash) Recently, I overheard a conversation between a father and son. The son was think of buying a house, and they spent the entire conversation only… Continue reading »

Apr
10

What is Implicit Bias and Why is it Important?

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court implemented a rule requiring newly admitted lawyers to complete the “Practicing with Professionalism” course, which I did a few weeks ago. This eight hour course touches on several topics, but one topic I found particularly useful was that of multicultural competency in lawyering. We began this segment of the course… Continue reading »

Feb
28

“The times they are a-changing”

Ever since Donald Trump was elected President, I noticed an increase in activism. A day has not gone by in which I am not engaged in conversation about a Trump Policy. I realize that I was not concerned about the position I took or the position of the person I was talking with, but rather… Continue reading »

Dec
05

LAW STUDENT TO LAWYER

Three years of law school is now a concluded chapter. Now I am a recent graduate and new associate, but the experience of being a new associate has revived the same anxious, excited, and uneasy feelings from the first year of law school. As the newest associate in the office, I am not only new… Continue reading »

May
24

A takeaway from Prince’s death: Do not die without a will

Prince is the latest celebrity to die without a will. To many of us it was shocking that this music legend did not leave instructions on how to administer his vast fortune. When celebrities die without a will it makes headline news. Despite the fact that about 50% of Americans die every year without a… Continue reading »

Oct
05

Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late to Hire an Attorney

People often hire an attorney when they are faced with a lawsuit. I can’t count the number of times I have received the phone call where the stressed out person on the other end of the phone is saying, “Help. I got served with papers and I don’t know what to do.” Let’s be clear… Continue reading »

Jul
03

More on…Estate Planning

I am always amazed at how often I hear someone say that they do not think they need a will because they are either not married or do not have children. In fact, that is all the more reason to have an estate plan! I recently came across a statistic that is alarming: 50% of… Continue reading »

Mar
21

The Reluctant Estate Plan Client

The greatest challenge I face in my estate planning practice is motivating clients to follow through with an estate plan. I have seen firsthand the financial and emotional toll on families when the proper planning is not done. Yet as much as I try to educate clients and potential clients about how proper estate planning… Continue reading »

Oct
25

The Many Costs of Divorce…

In our last newsletter, I promised to address the many costs of divorce, and started with the most obvious: legal fees.  Dissipation of assets is another cost of divorce, whether contested or not.  There are many assets that comprise the marital estate, but monetary assets pale in value to the truly irreplaceable assets of marriage:… Continue reading »

Aug
20

Tax Free Gifting

You may be aware that the federal estate tax, which was repealed for 2010, resumes in 2011 on estates with assets exceeding $1 million dollars. The Massachusetts estate tax remains in effect and also taxes estate assets over $1 million. In addition to worrying about estate taxes, the law also requires you to pay a… Continue reading »

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