Estate and Long-Term Care Planning
- Drafting, reviewing and finalizing wills
- Creating powers of attorney
- Creating health care proxies
- Drafting, reviewing and finalizing trusts, including special needs trusts
- Administering estates
- Resolving probate matters
- Litigating will disputes among beneficiaries and family members
Estate Planning
Estate planning helps you look out for your family. With a solid plan that includes having a will or trust, you can avoid uncertainties that lead to disputes and confusion among family members. Bletzer & Bletzer, P.C., in Boston, Massachusetts, is a law firm with years of experience in estate planning and estate administration.
Our attorneys have decades of experience and are able to answer any question about creating wills and trusts as well as to guide you through the probate process. We are knowledgeable, compassionate and ready to provide you and your family peace of mind.
Elder Law/Long-Term Care Planning/MassHealth (Medicaid) Planning
Elder Law is a broad term that encompasses a wide range of matters, including estate planning with the senior perspective in mind, proactively planning to protect assets in the event a long term care situation arises, to handling crises scenarios in which an elder is transitioning to assisted living or nursing home care without any pre-planning.
Without advanced planning or even last-minute planning, the exorbitant cost of long-term care (an average of $12K per month) can mean financial ruin to seniors, couples, and their families. Unless you can afford to privately pay for your long-term care or have a long-term care insurance policy to help with the the monthly cost of care, your option is to apply for MassHealth (Medicaid) benefits to provide medical assistance. Our firm understands the federal standards and guidelines for Medicaid as well as the complex eligibility requirements of Massachusetts Medicaid Rules and Regulations including the 5-year lookback period, transfer penalties, income guidelines, allowable ways to spend down, and how to protect as many assets as possible under the circumstances.
We help many families where adult children or caretakers are forced into decision making roles for their parents for the first time. Often, using Powers of Attorney, Guardianship and/or Conservatorship, children and caretakers are faced with organizing finances, making decisions about care, and figuring out the best placement for their loved one all at once.
Our firm knows how to help families navigate this stressful journey, protect assets, and qualify clients for MassHealth benefits. We have developed a well-rounded network of professional senior care providers – from aging life care professionals, social workers, home care providers, assisted living and nursing home administrators, financial advisors, and accountants – who serve as resources for our clients to help address the full scope of our clients’ needs.
It’s never too late to seek advice about protecting a loved one’s health, dignity, and assets, even if a loved one is already in a nursing home. Contact us today to schedule an initial consultation. Our attorneys and staff are willing to travel to a potential client’s home, hospital, or care facility if an office appointment is not feasible.
Probate and Estate Administration
Probate is the legal process of establishing the validity of a person’s will after he or she passes away, as well as the distribution of the decedent’s estate according to his or her will. The duties of the personal representative are complex, and the process can take many years, especially if there is any disagreement over the terms of the will.
At Bletzer & Bletzer, P.C. in Boston, Massachusetts, we are well-versed in the probate laws in Massachusetts, and we are prepared to offer the legal counsel, guidance, and representation that you need to navigate the probate process as quickly as possible. We can also help you avoid probate through proper estate planning.
For over 60 years we have helped residents from all across Massachusetts draft probate avoidance strategies and successfully resolve their deceased loved ones’ probates, even in intestate succession cases (dying without a will). Discover how we can help you.
Probate can be costly, time-consuming and complex. The members of our probate team strive for efficient and cost-effective settling of estates and trusts. We are sensitive to conflicts within families, aiming for practical and confidential resolution over divisive and sometimes public battles in probate court.