How does the Massachusetts estate tax affect my plan?

Massachusetts taxes estates starting at a much lower threshold than the federal exemption, so many families who owe no federal estate tax still face a state estate tax bill. Planning strategies — trusts, gifting, and asset titling — can help manage that exposure.

How often should I review my estate plan?

A good rule of thumb is every three to five years, and immediately after major life events: marriage, divorce, a birth, a death, a business sale, a large inheritance, or a move to another state.

Do you replace my estate planning attorney?

No. Attorneys draft the legal documents; we make sure your accounts, beneficiary designations, and investment strategy actually carry out what those documents intend — and we coordinate with your attorney and CPA throughout.

Services

Estate Planning & Asset Protection

You’ve spent a lifetime accumulating assets and we’re going to help you protect them. This is commonly an overlooked area of planning. We’ll work with you to ensure that you have the correct plan in place to protect you and your family from creditors, lawsuits, probate court, nursing homes, and anyone else who wants to try and take your hard-earned money.

Coordinated estate planning, not just documents

An estate plan is more than a will sitting in a drawer. Many well-drafted plans fail in practice because accounts were never retitled into the trust, beneficiary designations were left outdated, or assets were owned in ways that contradict the documents. We act as the quarterback — working alongside your estate planning attorney to make sure account titling, beneficiary designations, and asset ownership actually line up with your wills and trusts.

If you don’t yet have an estate planning attorney, we can introduce you to professionals we trust and sit in on the conversations, so your investment strategy and your estate strategy are designed together rather than in silos.

Protecting assets from creditors, probate, and long-term care costs

Asset protection planning is about building legal barriers before you ever need them. Depending on your situation, that can include revocable and irrevocable trusts, thoughtful gifting strategies, reviewing umbrella liability coverage, and structuring ownership of real estate and business interests to limit exposure to creditors and lawsuits.

Probate avoidance matters too: assets that pass through probate court can be tied up for months and become part of the public record. And for Massachusetts residents, state estate tax kicks in at a far lower threshold than the federal exemption — which makes proactive planning valuable for far more families than most people assume.

Legacy and multigenerational wealth transfer

Beyond protection, estate planning is how you shape your legacy. We help clients evaluate annual gifting strategies, 529 education funding for children and grandchildren, charitable vehicles like donor-advised funds, and trust structures designed to transfer wealth across generations tax-efficiently.

Just as important, we help prepare the next generation — so the people inheriting your wealth understand the plan and the values behind it.

Free downloads

Guides on this topic

How Much Do You Really Know About Estate Planning?PDF download

Understanding Estate PlanningPDF download

Advanced Planning Options for Larger EstatesPDF download

FAQs