Address: 33 Bedford St, Lexington, MA 02420, USA
Phone: +17818638606
Sunday: Closed
Monday: 9AM–5PM
Tuesday: 9AM–5PM
Wednesday: 9AM–5PM
Thursday: 9AM–5PM
Friday: 9AM–5PM
Saturday: Closed
Pamela Schweppe
It is a relief to have my estate documents taken care of, and Joel made the whole process informative and easy. I am impressed by his depth of knowledge and by his attention to the details and nuances involved. I had total confidence that I was being well taken care of all along the way.
Michael Crestohl
Attorney Joel Bernstein of Lexington Mass.has produced a five-lesson familiarization “course” on the subject of Massachusetts wills and living trust laws with a mind to reducing the state estate taxes and avoiding probate. The lessons are written in plain English and cover the basics anyone who has assets approaching the state estate tax trigger amount would want to know. Obviously this is not a “do-it-yourself” course in how to set up your own living trust because this is a complex legal matter and Attorney Bernstein ‘s law practice concentrates completely on wills and trusts so it obviously promotes that practice. There is no mention of what the “average” legal costs might be but I suspect that the fees are based on the complexity of the trust and the time it takes to create it. However the benefit of this course is to answer preliminary questions and in my opinion it did just that for me and my wife who also followed it. One caveat: The subject of wills and trusts varies from state yo state. This treatise is based on Massachusetts law and should only be used by residents of that state. Takeaway: This course is Intro to Mass Wills and Living Trusts 101 and is well worth the time spent by residents of that state perusing it.
Tony Montvale
I am familiar with the subject of wills and trusts because of my parents passing. The information that Joel Bernstein provided is excellent and because of his good work for my parents, my brother and i were able to carry out their wishes without any outside assistance. I would highly recommend Joel Bernstein for his expertise and honesty.
Daniel Dillon
Just finished up with my living trust, Last, and Will, Power of Attorney with Joel Bernstein. Three words to describe the process, Easy, Easy, Easy!. Joel and his team did everything for me. I was kept well informed of every step of the way with every action taken and being taken. I would highly recommend getting all your final document in order with the Bernstein team. I feel good that it is all done and done right! Thanks Joel!!!
Thanks! Your review is awaiting moderation.
As of 2022, about 15 states in the U.S. still have an estate tax. Massachusetts is among those states that have an estate tax.
Yes, MA has an estate tax as of 5/22. The exemption from the estate tax is the lowest in the U.S. and is $1 Million. Estates that are under this amount generally pay no estate tax. But there are some exceptions.
A trust costs more because the knowledge needed to create one is greater than writing a will. While general practice lawyers can (and do) write wills, a more specialized attorney is needed to create a trust. Usually, trust attorneys focus in this one area, as there is a lot of information to master to do an adequate job.
Many more people sign revocable trusts than irrevocable trusts, due to the greater flexibility of a revocable trust. On the other hand, people use irrevocable trusts to save estate taxes. This is unlike a revocable trust that does not save estate taxes if not used by married people.
Thanks! Your answer is awaiting moderation.
Thanks! Your question is awaiting moderation.