Estate planning for Swampscott families

A short drive down the coast

Swampscott sits just down the shore from the Salem office, so working with Ralph is easy and local. He helps Swampscott families with the core documents, a will, a trust when it fits, a health care proxy, and a power of attorney, all in plain language.

Coastal homes carry real value

A lot of Swampscott's value sits in the homes, especially the ones near the water off Puritan Road or up on the hills with a harbor view. When the house is the biggest asset, the plan has to protect it. A revocable trust lets your home pass to your family without probate, and for higher value estates it pairs with planning for the Massachusetts estate tax, which starts at two million dollars and is easy to reach here once you add the home and retirement savings.

Keeping it out of the Salem court

If a Swampscott estate goes through probate, it is handled by the Essex County Probate and Family Court in Salem, a short drive up the coast. Ralph's work is the planning that keeps your family out of that process, not the paperwork after.

A Swampscott example

Mark and Lisa own a home near the beach and have built solid retirement accounts over the years. Between the house and their savings, their estate is over the two million dollar Massachusetts line, though they never thought of themselves as an estate tax family. A properly structured trust for the two of them can reduce or remove that tax and pass the home privately to their children. The first consultation is free, and it usually starts by simply running the numbers.