Wills, Trusts & Estate Planning
Protecting what you have built, and the people you built it for. Wills, trusts, probate and elder law for North Shore families, from the same firm that handles family law.
The Documents Every Plan Should Include
Whatever the size of your estate, a handful of documents belong in nearly every plan. We start there, then build out from your situation.
- Last Will and Testament. Directs who receives your property, names a personal representative to carry out your wishes, and names a guardian for minor children.
- Revocable Living Trust. Holds your assets during life and passes them privately at death, helping your family avoid the cost and delay of probate.
- Durable Power of Attorney. Lets a trusted person manage your finances if you become unable to do so yourself.
- Health Care Proxy and HIPAA Authorization. Names who can make medical decisions for you and, under HIPAA (the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), access your medical information when you cannot speak for yourself.
Planning for the People You Love.
Estate planning is really about the people you love: making sure your family is cared for, your wishes are honored, and nothing important is left to chance.
An estate plan is not just about what happens after you pass. A large part of it protects you during your life, if illness or incapacity ever keeps you from making your own decisions.
Family law and estate planning are handled in one firm, so your plan can keep pace with your life. A divorce, a new marriage or a new child changes what your plan needs to say, and the same firm handles both.
What We Handle
Each plan is tailored to your family and your assets. These are the areas our estate planning attorneys handle.
Wills
Clearly drafted wills that reflect your wishes and protect your family, prepared in plain language you can actually understand.
Living Trusts
Revocable living trusts that avoid probate, keep your affairs private, and take effect immediately if you become incapacitated.
Special Needs Trusts
Careful planning to protect family members with disabilities without affecting their eligibility for government benefits.
Probate
Guidance through the Massachusetts probate process after a loved one passes, handled efficiently and with compassion.
Elder Law
Planning that protects older adults and their families, including MassHealth (Massachusetts Medicaid) planning and asset protection strategies.
Tax Planning
Estate tax strategies designed to preserve more of what you have worked for and pass it on to the people who matter most.
More Ways We Help
- Elder Law: Planning for Mom and Dad
- MassHealth Crisis Planning
- Special Needs Planning
- Probate and Estate Administration
- Estate Tax Planning
- Asset Protection
- Business Succession Planning
- Charitable Planning
- Veterans Benefits
- Young Adult Readiness Package
- The Three P’s of Estate Planning
- For Professional Advisors
How the Process Works
Most people find it more straightforward than they expect.
The Initial Meeting
We talk about estate planning, gather the information we need to understand your situation, and give you an estimate of the cost involved, along with an idea of how long the work will take.
We See the Full Picture
A divorce affects your estate plan. A new child changes your beneficiary designations. Because family law and estate planning are handled in one firm, nothing falls through the cracks between them.
A Finished Plan
When the documents are signed, you walk away with a binder and the peace of mind of a plan that is finished and in place.
Meet Our Estate Planning Attorneys
The attorneys who handle wills, trusts, probate and elder law for our clients.
Bridget Murray
Attorney Murray has practiced estate planning for 25 years. Before becoming an attorney, she wrote for The Economist in Tokyo, worked as a financial analyst for State Street Bank, and earned an MBA in International Management from the Thunderbird School of International Business. She holds a BA from Mount Holyoke College and a JD from Suffolk Law School, and she is licensed to practice law in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Minnesota.
Her practice focuses on estate planning, with particular depth in trusts, trust administration, special needs trusts, and tax planning.
She is a member of the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), and the Essex County and Merrimack Valley Estate Planning Councils. She lives in Gloucester with her husband and two young adult children.
Heather Dennehy
Attorney Dennehy joined the estate planning team in 2022. She works with estate planning clients and is the attorney primarily responsible for probate matters. She is also the team member you are most likely to work with on reviews and updates to your plan.
Before that, Attorney Dennehy ran her own law practice focused on estate planning. She served as an estate planning associate at Dalton and Finegold in Andover for eight years, and earlier worked as Associate Counsel in the legal department at Leasecomm Corporation and Microfinancial Incorporated in Waltham, Massachusetts.
She is a graduate of the Massachusetts School of Law and lives with her family in Andover.
Need Estate Planning Help?
Tell us what is on your mind and we will tell you honestly how we can help.
Initial consultation: $250.