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All articles about Massachusetts Basic Estate Planning Kit.
Best Estate Planning Guide for People Relocating to Massachusetts
Moving to Massachusetts? Your out-of-state estate plan probably doesn't work here. What relocators need to update and why.
Best Estate Planning Tool for Massachusetts Homeowners Near the $2M Threshold
Massachusetts estate tax hits at $2M with no spousal portability. Find the best planning tool for homeowners approaching this threshold.
Digital Assets in Your Massachusetts Estate Plan — MUFADAA Rules and Access
Massachusetts MUFADAA law controls who can access your digital accounts after death. Learn the three-tier priority system and how to authorize fiduciary access.
Estate Planning After Divorce in Massachusetts — The ERISA Trap and What to Update
Divorce in Massachusetts automatically revokes some estate designations but not others. Learn the critical ERISA gap for 401ks and life insurance.
Estate Planning for Blended Families in Massachusetts — Avoid the Intestacy Trap
Massachusetts intestacy rules can accidentally disinherit your children or force a home sale in blended families. Learn the specific risks and planning tools.
Financial Power of Attorney Massachusetts — The Durability Clause You Cannot Skip
Massachusetts powers of attorney expire on incapacity unless they include a specific durability clause. Learn how to create one that actually works.
How to File a Homestead Declaration in Massachusetts — Step-by-Step
Protect up to $1,000,000 in home equity from creditors by filing a homestead declaration in Massachusetts. Covers forms, fees, and the Registry of Deeds process.
How to Create a Massachusetts Estate Plan Without an Attorney
Step-by-step guide to creating a legally valid estate plan in Massachusetts without hiring a lawyer. Covers wills, health care proxy, POA, and homestead.
Irrevocable Trust Massachusetts — When You Actually Need One
Learn when an irrevocable trust makes sense in Massachusetts, how it differs from a revocable trust, and the estate tax and MassHealth planning implications.
Massachusetts Estate Planning Kit vs Hiring an Attorney — Which Makes More Sense?
Compare a Massachusetts estate planning kit against hiring a local attorney. Cost, coverage, and when each option makes sense for your family.
Massachusetts Estate Tax Exemption — The $2M Cliff, No Portability, and How to Plan Around It
Massachusetts taxes estates over $2M with no spousal portability. Learn how the cliff works, the $99,600 credit, and strategies to reduce your exposure.
Massachusetts Revocable Living Trust — Do You Actually Need One?
Find out whether you need a revocable living trust in Massachusetts. Covers when a trust beats a will, how to fund it, and the homestead trap most owners miss.
Massachusetts Will Requirements — Witnesses, Signatures, and Common Mistakes
Massachusetts requires two witnesses for a valid will and does not allow holographic or oral wills. Learn the exact execution rules under M.G.L. c. 190B.
Medicaid Lookback Period Massachusetts — Five-Year Rule and MassHealth Recovery
MassHealth enforces a five-year lookback on asset transfers before Medicaid eligibility. Learn the rules, the 2024 reforms, and the caregiver child exception.
Pour-Over Will Massachusetts — How It Works with Your Revocable Trust
A pour-over will catches assets left outside your Massachusetts revocable trust and funnels them into the trust at death. Learn how it works and its limitations.
Self-Proving Affidavit Massachusetts — What It Is and Why Your Will Needs One
A self-proving affidavit lets your Massachusetts will be admitted to probate without witness testimony. Learn the requirements under M.G.L. c. 190B § 2-504.
Spousal Elective Share Massachusetts — What Surviving Spouses Can Claim
Massachusetts law prevents complete disinheritance of a surviving spouse. Learn the elective share formula, deadlines, and how it affects estate planning.
Transfer on Death Deed Massachusetts — Why It Doesn't Exist and What to Use Instead
Massachusetts does not recognize transfer on death deeds for real estate. Learn the legal alternatives to pass property without probate in the Commonwealth.
Update Your Estate Plan After Moving to Massachusetts — What Changes
Moved to Massachusetts from another state? Your existing will, POA, and living will may not work here. Learn the five legal gaps you need to fix immediately.