Heirlooms in Estate Planning

Jun 8, 2017 / By: Lantz Law, Inc.

Category: Estate Planning, Trusts, Will

Heirlooms, such as jewelry or antiques, can often be more valuable to families than money or other assets. There can be very special sentimental value attached to something passed down over generations. So, not surprisingly,...

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A Tale of Two Families

Mar 8, 2017 / By: Lantz Law, Inc.

Category: Blog, Estate Planning, Estate Tax, General, Life Insurance, Trusts, Will

A Tale of Two Families   It’s difficult to understand the concept of estate planning in the abstract. Which is why, at our seminars, we use a family, the Jones, to put estate planning into...

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Estate Planning v. Asset Protection

Feb 13, 2017 / By: Lantz Law, Inc.

Category: Blog, Estate Planning, Nursing Homes

Our clients sometimes get confused when we make a distinction between estate planning and asset protection. Of course, the confusion is not entirely misplaced because estate planning often involves strategies to protect assets in the...

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Special Needs Fairness Act Becomes Law

Jan 19, 2017 / By: Lantz Law, Inc.

Category: Blog, Trusts

In December, 2016, Congress passed and President Obama signed the Special Needs Fairness Act. Why is this such a big deal? Anyone who has special needs or who knows someone with special needs will understand...

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Basic Estate Planning Terms

Jan 4, 2017 / By: Lantz Law, Inc.

Category: Blog, Estate Planning, General, Will

Estate planning is a complicated subject. People tend to avoid it partly because of a lack of understanding. In an effort to help everyone understand estate planning a little bit better, we decided to write...

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New Year’s Resolution Checklist

Dec 28, 2016 / By: Lantz Law, Inc.

Category: Blog, Estate Planning

Make a New Year’s resolution to review your finances to assure your estate plan is in good shape. 1. Beneficiary Designations. Make sure the beneficiary designations of IRAs, 401-Ks, and life insurance policies are up-to-date...

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When Roles Reverse and Your Parents Need Your Help

Dec 21, 2016 / By: Lantz Law, Inc.

Category: Blog, Estate Planning, Long Term Care, Medicaid, Will

Thanks to advances in medicine and science, as well as an overall better quality of life, Americans at the beginning of the 21st century have an average life expectancy of almost double what they had...

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Crucial Conversations About Estate Planning

Dec 13, 2016 / By: Lantz Law, Inc.

Category: Blog, Estate Planning, General, Will

It’s an unfortunate fact that any estate planning attorney must deal with: people generally do not want to talk about planning with regard to their estates. In many peoples’ minds, estate planning is linked to...

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Top 10 Reasons Why Your Estate Plan Needs Your Attention Now!

Dec 5, 2016 / By: Lantz Law, Inc.

Category: Blog, Divorce, Estate Planning, General, Medicaid

Estate planning isn’t meant to be a “one and done” type of project. Estate planning reflects the totality of a person’s life, and therefore it should reflect changes that occur in our lives. Not only...

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Will Loved Ones Have to Pay Inheritance Tax?

Nov 21, 2016 / By: Lantz Law, Inc.

Category: Blog, Estate Tax

There’s a very simple answer to this question: No. In Massachusetts, there is no such thing as an “inheritance tax”. This means that those who receive an inheritance do not have to pay tax based...

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