Estate Planning

At the comprehensive estate planning Law Offices of Kimberly Butler Rainen in Andover, a core component of our knowledgeable and empathetic client representation focuses upon elder care concerns. There are many of those, of course, which can feature in differing ways depending on what might be happening in a given instance. Adult children understandably worry …

Mom and dad getting older: Is financial management now a concern? Read More »

Imagine how you would feel after a loving parent has passed away and you suddenly realized that, notwithstanding mom’s or dad’s incessant infatuation and endorsement of so-called “virtual currencies” during life, there is no evidence to be found of any such property in estate documents or elsewhere? Might that make you just a bit concerned? …

20th-century estate planning concern for some: virtual currency Read More »

Well, it’s not The Grapes of Wrath, but it is nonetheless wrath, and it spells mutually directed ire that has soured relations between heirs of best-selling author John Steinbeck for many years. Steinbeck has been dead for decades, but his classic treatment of potent themes in American life resulted in novels that exploded in popularity …

Jury trial concludes in storied writer’s estate litigation clash Read More »

Here’s a notable but not often stressed point relevant to estate planning that a New York Times article recently passed along: within a few short years, more than one of every five Americans will reportedly be 65 or older. And that means this: As scores of millions of senior-aged individuals and couples move from large …

Transfer wealth, lawfully avoid taxes and declutter Read More »

Every thoughtful person from middle age to being on the cusp of retirement might dutifully reflect on the findings of a recent study focused upon what surveys show deeply concerns scores of millions of Americans. And that is this: retirement money. Even more specifically: the amount of money — that magic-bullet threshold, if you will …

Report on a million bucks underscores need for timely planning Read More »

“Take steps now.” That is advice that we candidly give at the Andover estate planning Law Offices of Kimberly Butler Rainen to families concerned with future health and related concerns linked to a parent or other aging family member showing signs of dementia or another material life challenge. Although the delivery of competent and consistent …

Dementia study underscores importance of timely estate planning Read More »

Estate planning attorneys revel in fun and gaiety just as much as other persons do, which means — for purposes of this blog post — that they are far from immune from the excitement that gifts, laughter and camaraderie engender at birthday parties. Such festivities can also serve as much more than mere enticements to …

A valuable surprise present from a memorable birthday party Read More »

Here’s a quick query regarding the so-called digital universe that exists online: How many accounts do you think an “average” Internet user has? One can almost hear the wheels spinning for readers seeking to come up with a quick calculation. There’s email, right? And probably at least one — and, in many cases, several — …

You’re online, right? Someday your executor may need to be Read More »

It is certainly as important as the act of initially creating a sound and tailored estate plan to take an occasional peek at it thereafter and make tweaks as necessary. Because those tweaks — and, sometimes, major revisions — will become necessary. Life has a habit of rendering any “immutable and forever” plan, well, mutable. …

Craft it, forget about it; not an optimal recipe for estate planning Read More »

Loving parents in Massachusetts and elsewhere worry about their children with physical and/or mental disabilities, and understandably so. Caregivers wish they could live forever, standing resolutely beside their loved ones and helping them face and conquer every challenge. That is simply not meant to be the case, of course. Parents do ultimately pass, most often …

Caring for a special needs child, now and after you’re gone Read More »