As a parent, it’s one of your primary goals to protect your children as much as you can. Unfortunately, far too many parents overlook the aspects of estate planning that should be considered as part of this overall view on protection.

Inappropriate planning can lead to devastating consequences for your loved ones and proper planning can ensure that your children are protected and have a clear plan of what to do if you become incapacitated or pass away.

One of the most dangerous things that can happen is to leave your property directly to your minor children. This means that the court controls the money until the children are adults and even leaving money to adult children can have pitfalls, depending on the maturity and responsibility levels of each child. Using a trust is one of the best things that you can do to structure a solid estate plan based on your family’s individual needs.

It’s important to take a step back and to look at planning options from the big picture so that you can feel confident about your plans aligning well with your individual needs and what you envision as the future of your family. You deserve to have these questions answered with the help of an attorney who can translate them into documents and strategies.

A consultation with an estate planning lawyer can walk you through what it looks like to create a trust for your loved ones and some of the factors to consider when creating this document. Need help today? At our Massachusetts estate planning office, we help parents determine what estate planning looks like for them and keep an ongoing relationship with you so that your plan is always updated.


Disclaimer: This blog post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading this content does not create an attorney-client relationship. For legal advice specific to your situation, please consult with a qualified attorney.

Tiffany A. O'Connell, JD, LLM, CELA, AEP

About Tiffany A. O'Connell, JD, LLM, CELA, AEP

Tiffany A. O'Connell, JD, LLM, CELA, AEP is the CEO and Founding Partner of O'Connell Law, an estate planning and elder law firm serving clients across Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. She is one of a select group of attorneys in Massachusetts certified by the National Elder Law Foundation as a Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA). Tiffany focuses her practice on estate planning, trust and probate administration, Medicaid planning, long-term care planning, Alzheimer's planning, charitable planning, and retirement and wealth strategies. She has been helping families plan for their futures since opening her practice in 2010.

Credentials: JD, LLM, CELA (Certified Elder Law Attorney — National Elder Law Foundation), AEP (Accredited Estate Planner)

Licensed in: Massachusetts

Areas of Practice: Estate Planning, Elder Law, Medicaid Planning, Probate & Trust Administration, Alzheimer's Planning, Asset Protection

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