Estate Planning | Coren Lichtenstein LLP

The Innovators’ Counsel: Power of Attorney & Valid Trust Creation Under The MUTC

Posted on October 15, 2015

The Massachusetts Uniform Trust Code (the “MUTC”), codified at Mass. Gen. Laws c. 203E, became effective as of July 8, 2012. The enacting legislation provides that, except as otherwise provided, the MUTC applies to all trusts created before, on, or after the July 8, 2012 effective date. The before...

Earthquake Hits Many Massachusetts Trusts

Posted on September 3, 2013

Massachusetts’ highest court has held that if an irrevocable and unamendable trust gives the trustee the right, in its sole judgment, to pay any amount directly to one or more beneficiaries or to use any amount to indirectly benefit one or more beneficiaries (for example, paying a beneficiary’s rent), then that allows...

What Does a “Do Not Resuscitate” Notice in a Person’s Home Mean?

Posted on August 15, 2013

Occasionally, I see a Massachusetts “DNR Notice” in someone’s home (usually the home of an elderly person). The notice is formally named a “Comfort Care-Do Not Resuscitate” notice – “CC/DNR” for short. Recently, I noticed a CC/DNR in an elderly client’s home. The client said that she didn’t know much about the...

New Taxes for 2013

Posted on January 5, 2013

The package of US health care reform laws imposes new taxes starting in 2013. These are not part of the so-called “fiscal cliff”. A solution to the “fiscal cliff” will probably not affect the taxes discussed in this article. Part 1 – 3.8% Surtax On Certain Amounts and Kinds...

What about the Puppies?

Posted on June 14, 2011

All too often, the family pet is not taken into consideration when estate planning is addressed. Now that the Massachusetts legislature has enacted a “Pet Trust” statute (Mass Gen Laws Chapter 203, Section 3C), it seems an appropriate opportunity to write on the subject. An estate plan should address not...

Serious Advice from the Experts

Posted on June 2, 2011

The recent devastating tornadoes in central Massachusetts should give everyone pause, as no one is immune to natural disasters. Even if tornadoes don’t return to Massachusetts this Summer, there are obviously other kinds of natural calamities that can jeopardize life, limb or property. In the wake of the central Mass....

Newly Enacted Federal Tax (and Unemployment) Statue

Posted on March 1, 2011

Dear clients and friends:
I wanted to provide you with a brief review of the recently-enacted federal tax law – the “Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010”. Whether this law is aptly-named is yet to be seen! I’ve not tried here to review all the...

2010 Suspension of U.S. Estate and Generation Skipping Transfer Taxes

Posted on February 17, 2011

As is well known from the news media, the U.S. estate tax has been suspended for deaths occurring in calendar year 2010 – but it is also currently scheduled to again be effective for deaths occurring after calendar year 2010, this time with an “exemption” that is equivalent to $1,000,000 of assets...