People often consider putting an estate plan together when they are going through a crisis. But how often do they think about doing (or re-doing) their estate plan when their child is in crisis? A recent article in the Boston Globe about parents of heroin or oxycontin addicts who have formed support groups made me [...]
Estate planning, elder law, special needs, probate, guardianship. Leanna Hamill, Hingham
Blog
-
Leanna Hamill, Attorney at Law, P.C. provides estate planning and related legal services to clients of all ages, with a focus on the needs of older individuals and their families.
Category Archives: Parents of Minor Children
A Financial Checklist for Parents of Children with Special Needs
Financial and estate planning is important for every family, but more so for those families who have children with special needs. MassMutual has a recent article on Helping to Build the Financial Future of Your Child with Special Needs, which provides a checklist for parents to consider when planning. The list includes:
Investigating what government [...]
Preparing for the Estate Planning Meeting
You’ve scheduled an appointment with your attorney, and the meeting to talk about your estate plan is next week. You have the information form she asked you to fill out, but in addition to listing your assets and income and children, there are other things to think about that don’t fit so nicely into a [...]
Choosing Guardians for Your Child with Special Needs
Choosing a potential guardian for a child is no easy task for any parent, but it may be even more difficult for a parent of child with special needs. In addition to things like "will my kids be comfortable in their home?" you also have to consider
do the guardians live near my child’s medical providers? [...]
New Year’s Resolutions
People make New Year’s Resolutions about a lot of things – getting in shape, stopping smoking, getting organized, drawing up their Will and other planning documents. And just as your personal trainer can give you information about the best way to get in shape and guide you on your way, your doctor can offer assistance [...]
Planning for a Child with Special Needs
Planning for a child with special needs requires more than just making sure that you leave some money for them. Many times, children (including adult children) are receiving Medicaid or other government benefits due to their disability. This is true even if they have private health insurance as well, since private health insurance doesn’t cover [...]
Changing Your Living Will During Pregnancy
Most people think that the time to revise their estate plan, including their health care proxy and living will is when a big change occurs: marriage, birth of a child, divorce, etc. However, as Shelly Mactyre, of The Fig Tree points out, you may wish to change your living will or health care directive when [...]
How Does Property Pass Without A Will?
What happens if you die without a Will? How will your property in Massachusetts pass to your loved ones? It is often said that if you don’t have an estate plan, the State has one for you. Here it is:
1) If a person dies with a spouse, and with kindred (relatives) surviving them, (but [...]
Boston Globe Magazine Column About Wills
Today’s Boston Globe Magazine had a column regarding some of the struggles parents go through when deciding when and how to make their estate plans. It seems like all this father needed was a little nudge from his daughter. If your children can’t talk yet, or haven’t brought up your estate plan, don’t let that [...]
Estate Planning – What Are You Waiting For?
There was a great post recently by Jennifer Sawday, an estate planning attorney in California, in which she talks about some of the reasons people don’t make an estate plan. The three she came up with were: price, fear and not knowing the consequences of not making a plan.
I would add to this list: [...]
Leanna@HamillLawOffice.com | 160 Old Derby St., Suite 456 | Hingham, Ma 02043 | Phone: 781.749.2284 | Fax: 866.573.6429
Advertising. In accordance with rules established by the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, this web site must be labeled "advertising." It is designed to provide general information for clients and friends of the firm and should not be construed as legal advice, or legal opinion on any specific facts or circumstances. By using this site you understand that there is no attorney client relationship between you and the attorney. The website should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed professional attorney in your state. Leanna Hamill is licensed to practice law in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts only.
Advertising. In accordance with rules established by the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, this web site must be labeled "advertising." It is designed to provide general information for clients and friends of the firm and should not be construed as legal advice, or legal opinion on any specific facts or circumstances. By using this site you understand that there is no attorney client relationship between you and the attorney. The website should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed professional attorney in your state. Leanna Hamill is licensed to practice law in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts only.