Massachusetts Estate Planning Questions & Answers
Q: My mother is in assisted living and she has an annuity that she has been using to pay for the assisted living.
Is there a way to protect the money that remains in her annuity?
It is impossible tip answer your question without reviewing the annuity contract but very likely on her death the remainder will have to be used to reimburse Medicaid.
Q: I live in MA, my father who presided in AZ passed away a few weeks ago
My father was married to a woman who he shared no children and my sister and I were a previous marriage. He left no will. How do My sister and I protect our inheritance rights? The wife was hesitant to give us a photo album from our childhood never mind our inheritance. Is there some sort of way to... Read more »
This is an Arizona case if your father resided there and you should therefore contact a Probate attorney in that area.
Q: As executor, can I put money I have inherited from a retirement account/insurance policy of the deceased to pay debt?
Money is owed to family member for having paid bills but was not paid back prior to the death of the person who owed the money. There is proof this money is owed. There is not enough cash in the estate to pay back the money.
I think that a little more info is needed here, but wanted to give you some basics. First, the estate has to pay valid claims so long as there is money to do so. BUT, if you inherited funds from the deceased and those funds were not part of the estate (in other words, you were named as a... Read more »
Q: How will equity from sale of a house affect govt asst. programs like ssdi, medicare, masshealth, food stamps, housing?
Yes I am disabled, on hemodialysis, and get palliative care services. My house will be closing on Wednesday. I will be getting about $150,000 (that's the gain). What federal/state assistance programs will be affected by this gain of money? Is there any legal way around it or to avoid losing the... Read more »
You have not stated whether you are disabled . If so, there is a special needs trust you can explore.
Q: My full story is below.
My Grandfather passed away on 12/23/18, and had a Merrill Lynch investment account with 3 beneficiary's. My mother, and her two siblings. My mother passed away two months before him,on 10/9/18. The remaining 2 beneficiary's have since split the account 2 ways, and cut my deceased mother, ( and... Read more »
It depends upon how the beneficiary desigination reads-does it list the 3 persons as joint tenants with the right of survivorship? Or as beneficiaries in common or does it list further contingent beneficiairies.
Q: Is there recourse for being wrongly denied life insurance?
I was denied life insurance because they stated I was in an alcohol rehab center. I have never had any issues with alcohol or drugs and have never been in a rahab center
One option is to seek insurance through a different carrier. If you need insurance and wish to avoid delays in obtaining coverage, valuable time could be lost in pressing the issue with the original carrier.
Tim Akpinar
Q: My husband died in 2010. In MA, what forms do I use to start the probate process now? All for death after '12
The form set is for Formal Probate and the documentation to file is the same as for post March 31, 2012 deaths although the law on who is an heir or devisee is different.
Q: My mom passed away, and my cousin said she’d help by making a gofundme to help me pay for the expenses of her affairs...
She used mine and my mother's name multiple times and her image but then did NOT use me (her only child and legal heir) as the beneficiary. She used my aunt, who disagrees with me on what to do with my Mom’s remains. I signed a contract with the funeral home and they said that they would be... Read more »
Have you opened a Probate matter in Court to deal with these burial and other inheritance issues? See: https://www.mass.gov/orgs/probate-and-family-court. It's a good idea to hire an attorney to navigate these issues along with any issues re: the validity of the charitable donations, the funeral... Read more »
Q: Asking for a friend
I have a friend who is about to under go surgery. She fears that by chance she does not make it and has written instructions not to allow custody to the father bc he is abusive and not much of father? They were never married, hes never stayed in the kids like no longer ther 6months, after that he... Read more »
She should at least have a Will nominating a guardian for the minor children. The best route would be to also have a Guardianship petition or at least temporary guardianship addressed by the Court taking into consideration his unsuitability as a custodial parent as being not in the children's... Read more »
Q: I need some guidance on interpreting verbiage in a Massachusetts last will and testament.
How are disbursement’s made between Husband and Persons 1, 2, & 3?:
“I give, devise and bequeath all my estate, real, personal and mixed and whatever situated, including all property which I may acquire or become entitled to after the execution of this will, and all lapsed legacies and... Read more »
Looks like a helpful comma was missing and if so and husband survives, then he receives except for any property of which the testator had power of appointment, and not the others unless husband fails to survive the testator. Otherwise its a trip to Court for a "declaration" to be made by the... Read more »
Q: Can you set up a trust for a pet? A friend is trying to make sure his pets are taken care of.
Since 2011, Massachusetts has allowed for the recognition of pet trusts. Your friend will need to think of the appropriate caretaker for the pets but the pet trust can allow for financial funding of the pet's needs. As with any trust, your friend want to make sure it is integrated with his estate... Read more »
Q: When I pass are my children responsible for any bills left behind like visa or master chg.etc.
Your children will not likely be personally responsible for these bills, but if there are any assets in your estate like real property, bank accounts, etc., your creditors have a right to pursue your estate and seek recovery from those assets. The effect of this may be that your children's share of... Read more »
Q: I have a vacation house in Florida. To put it in a trust would I do so under Florida law or Massachussetts?
There may be good reasons to do one over the other depending on the circumstances and your needs.
Q: My father died recently; I am a beneficiary. My sister opened an estate account with her as executor, leaving me out.
She was able to open an Estate account in the name of my deceased father's estate with her as the sole executor. However, the Surrogate's Court had decreed that I was to be named co-executor and all financial decisions including estate account opening required my knowledge and consent. My... Read more »
In order to open an estate account at a bank your sister would have had to present the bank with the papers from the court that appointed her personal representative. The bank is required to follow what the court papers say as far as who is personal representative of the estate and therefore... Read more »
Q: My father passed away and did not list me his will his only child..his spouse died 4 months later no other children.
Am I entitled to the sale of the property that was sold by the personal rep
Were you unborn when the will was created? Or was this an uncertain paternity situation where father may not have known you were his child ?When was the will created? What were the circumstances surrounding will execution? Were you properly noticed of the probate proceedings? were they in... Read more »
Q: whats the best way to say i came of my own free will to a lawyer
The statement is I am signing this document of my own free will. It is a statement you make in front of witnesses and notaries.
Q: How many people do I need to witness a will?
Two witnesses and one notary, none of whom can be named in the will.
Q: Bank won't accept will and certified voluntary administration, wants Estate Tax ID
I filed to represent an estate of which I am the sole beneficiary and executor under the will. There was a small checking account balance - approx $800, an older car (2004) in need of repairs and misc clothing furniture etc most of which was donated to charity. The petition (voluntary... Read more »
You will need a federal tax payer ID to liquidate the bank account and motor vehicle. You can discuss with your tax preparer or accountant whether or not you need to file fiduciary tax returns , but you would also need to file the tax returns for the last year of the decedent's life and there... Read more »
Q: As executor of estate, can I start an estate account ? I have the TIN number.
Probate attorney says I must give to him, checking on my rights.
You also need your appointment letter along with the Tax payer ID #
Q: Do I have to allow the lawyer to take the estate funds or can I create an estate account myself, is there a law?
Informal, under 450,000. Assets ( house sale, insurances, property) no contest. One credit card and he already lost track of a disbursement, can I as executor pay what’s owed to who?
You would be setting up an estate bank account with an estate tax payer ID and you can arrange to have the attorney copied with bank statements.
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