Who Inherits Property In Massachusetts When a Person Dies “Intestate?”

When a person passes away without a will, a trust, or designated beneficiaries, the decedent’s assets are distributed according to what is called “intestate succession.”  In this situation, “who gets what” follows strict guidelines established by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.  These guidelines can lead to unexpected consequences, even in relatively common scenarios....
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My Loved One Died.  Do I Need to Probate a Will?

When someone dies and has a will, the obvious question is, “What do I do now?” The best thing to do is to see a lawyer who specializes in estate planning and probate.  You will bring to that meeting everything you can find about the deceased’s assets and finances: deed, mortgage papers, bank statements, brokerage...
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Elder Care Workshop Series at Norwell Public Library

  Getting older? Taking care of someone who is? Come to this three-part series to learn some helpful tips from local Elder Services professionals. Wednesday, March 8: “Who Can Help Me?” Find out how to access elder services in your community. Presented by Susan Curtin, Director at Norwell Council on Aging.   “Elder Law 101” Get to know the basics...
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My Dad Died Owning Stocks – What a Pain That Was!

If you have ever had to deal with stocks that you inherited, then you know what a pain it can be to change ownership over to your name. You probably had to: Figure out which stock transfer agent was managing those shares (ex. Computershare), Figure out which forms that transfer agent needed you to fill out, Go to...
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Heard in the Office: “My Mom Named Me ‘Executor’ in Her Will and the Court Sent Me Some Paper about Being ‘Personal Representative.’ I Don’t Get It.”

Huge vocabulary switch, it’s going to take all of us a very long time to get used to.  This spring, the legislature cleaned out 200 years of laws concerning how we probate wills and estates and replaced those laws with a brand new set called the “Massachusetts Uniform Probate Code” (MUPC). One of the many...
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