I always recommend that my clients keep their original wills (and other important documents) in a fireproof box in their house, and that they let some family members know where the documents are located, and where the key is (or what the combination is) if the box is locked. This is so that when the [...]
Estate planning, elder law, special needs, probate, guardianship. Leanna Hamill, Hingham
Category Archives: Probate/Estate Administration
The Dangers of Do It Yourself, A Cautionary Tale
A colleague recently had a new client come to see them. The man's father had passed away, and the son had found the Will…the Will that his father had purchased online and signed, thinking his wishes would then be honored. Sadly, they won't be.
The form Will that the father had filled out had spaces [...]
Will There Be a Reading of the Will?
I am sometimes asked by my clients if there will be a "reading of the will", and the answer is almost always "no." These days, there is generally no formal gathering at the attorney's office where the will is read to the heirs, no shocking revelations like in the movies. And given that people often [...]
What are you leaving behind? Thoughts on decluttering as part of planning.
I posted recently about the health effects of clutter on the person living with the clutter. However, the effects of your clutter live on even after your death. This blog, Confessions of a Hoarder, has a post describing the process of trying to declutter an estate after a person’s death.
The author describes how her [...]
Probating an Estate in Massachusetts
Probating an estate is the process by which a person’s Will is delivered to the Court, allowed by the court, an executor is appointed, and the person’s property is distributed according to their Will. If the person has no Will, the process, called estate administration, is similar and the property is distributed according to state [...]
Paperless Records can Leave Heirs in the Dark
This article from the Wall Street Journal, Paperless World Can Leave Heirs in the Dark, outlines the dangers of keeping all your records on your computer. With online bank accounts becoming more common, there might not be paper statements of your accounts, and if you don’t leave a record of them, your heirs might never [...]
When Someone Dies
"I don’t know exactly what it is you do when someone dies" – Edna St. Vincent Millay, Sonnets from an Ungrafted Tree.
Like the narrator in Edna’s sonnet, people know that there are things that need to be done when someone dies ,but they don’t know what those things are, or they feel overwhelmed and [...]
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 [...]
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.