Estate Planning for Gay & Lesbian Families in Massachusetts
Estate planning is important for every family and individual, regardless of income level or amount of assets. A comprehensive estate plan not only dictates what will happen to your property after you pass away, but can be used to set forth details about your funeral, establish a guardian for your children, name a health care proxy to make medical decisions on your behalf or leave money to a favorite charity.
Estate planning is even more important for gay and lesbian families, because inheritance rights are not guaranteed to non-married partners or to their children. For committed gay and lesbian couples who remain unmarried, have not finalized a second-parent adoption and for individuals who want to ensure that specific after-death requests are honored, estate planning can be used to create a strong legal structure that defines your wishes.
The Law Office of Polly A. Tatum · Worcester, Massachusetts
Our Worcester law firm, led by experienced family law attorney Polly A. Tatum, has a special focus on providing family law services to gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and other non-traditional families. We have extensive experience creating comprehensive estate plans that meet the unique needs of our clients and clearly set forth their wishes in a manner that courts will uphold. We have also gained a reputation as a local law firm that provides quality legal services at cost-effective rates.
The Components of an Effective Estate Plan
When creating or modifying an estate plan, gay and lesbian families should consider the following issues:
- Does the estate plan include funeral planning documents? Funeral planning is important in order to provide specifics about burial and funeral arrangements as well as to determine which person has the right to implement those arrangements or make necessary decisions not specifically set forth in the estate plan. Without funeral planning documents, the deceased person's next of kin are legally granted the right to make these decisions, and the decedent's wishes might not be honored.
- Does the will provide specific inheritance instructions for intended beneficiaries? If not, property will pass to family members according to Massachusetts probate laws.
- Does the will include guardianship provisions for any unadopted children? If the family has a child who has not been formally adopted by the second parent, the second parent may have no legal rights to custody or parenting rights if the biological or first adoptive parent passes away. A similar issue could affect elderly relatives or other vulnerable adults who had been in the decedent's care.
- Does the estate plan name a health care proxy and power of attorney? These documents name the person you want to make medical and financial decisions for you in the event that you become incapacitated by illness or injury.
Contact Our Office for a Consultation
If you have questions about estate planning, contact us for a consultation with experienced estate planning lawyer Polly A. Tatum. To make an appointment, call us at 508-425-4763 or send us an e-mail. We offer flexible appointment arrangements (including evenings and weekends by request) and accept major credit cards as payment for our legal services.
