Writing a will is one of the most important documents you’ll ever pen, yet many well-intentioned people can make surprising financial mistakes that cause confusion, legal battles, and family in-fighting. Tracy A. Craig, Chair of our Trusts and Estate Practice Group, shared her perspective on the most common mistakes that people make and provided insights…
Children who are concerned about their aging parents’ well-being are increasingly turning to assisted living to help them. However, assisted living requires diligent planning to ensure that parents are treated with the respect and dignity they deserve. By recognizing the exact needs of your parents, and taking prudent steps to manage their estates, families can…
Recently, Massachusetts revised its homestead law to increase the amount of protection for homeowners. There is still an automatic protection of $125,000 in Massachusetts without the need for filing a declaration of homestead with the Registry of Deeds. However, under the revised law, homeowners in the Commonwealth who file a declaration of homestead qualify for…
Estate and business succession planning are two closely related areas of law that can both serve similar purposes. One reason that individuals, families, and small business owners choose to avail themselves of planning is to minimize taxes. If you’ve never created an estate or succession plan or it’s been a while since you’ve updated yours,…
Probate is the process by which an individual’s last will and testament is determined to be valid (or “proved”) so that the decedent’s final wishes regarding estate assets can be settled. Although probate is avoidable in some cases, there are many estates that must be subjected to this process before property can be distributed to…
Tracy Craig, Chair of our Trusts and Estates Practice Group, recently contributed an informative article to Kiplinger, focused on individuals interested in including charitable giving in their estate plans. This giving can take many forms. Oftentimes, a donor-advised fund can provide a very cost effective and easy way to give to charities, either during life or…
On January 1, 2024, new registration and reporting obligations for businesses and business owners under the Corporate Transparency Act came into effect. With certain limited exceptions, business entities (corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships, and similarly formed entities) must provide business ownership information to the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). Failure…
Seder & Chandler, LLP is pleased to announce that associate Janelle A. Tanenbaum has been accepted into Class II of the New England Fellows Institute of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC). Tanenbaum was nominated by the Chair of Seder’s Trusts and Estates Practice Group and ACTEC Fellow, Tracy A. Craig, who…
