From The Legal Pad
Here you’ll find a collection of helpful articles and insights about the legal services we offer and beyond. We’re here to break down the complexities and provide you with valuable information that you can actually use.
Whether you’re a small business owner, planning your estate, or navigating real estate transactions, we’ve got your back with practical advice and straightforward explanations. Let’s dive in and make the law a little less daunting!
Your Will Says Split It Equally. Your Bank Accounts Didn’t Get the Memo.
Most couples I work with have a Will that divides their estate equally among their children when both spouses have died. Some also have a bank or brokerage account held jointly with one child, added years ago "so she can help pay the bills." Those two decisions can...
You Set Up a Trust For Your Kids. Your Life Insurance Form Ignored It
In my practice, I meet with many young parents to complete their estate planning. In most circumstances, the parents are already well along in protecting their family and have obtained life insurance on each of their lives to provide for their children in the event...
Helped One Child More Than The Others? Your Estate Plan Should Account For It.
Parents help their children at different times and in different amounts. One child gets a hand with a down payment. Another gets the family house at a discount. A third gets a stake in the business. Most parents still want everything split evenly in the end. The...
A House With More Bedrooms Than Its Septic System Was Approved For. Now What?
When reviewing municipal records, I often come across a surprisingly common situation. A house has four bedrooms, but the septic system on file with the town was approved for only three. My client, the buyer, panics a little as this sounds like a big deal and a major...
No Probate? Connecticut Still Wants a Filing. Meet the CT-706 NT
Here is a common scenario. I represent a client in a real estate sale. The client’s spouse died five years prior, and I ask whether the estate was administered. The usual response is, “We set everything up to avoid probate, so there was nothing for us to do.”...
Named as Executor? Think You’re in Charge? Not Until the Court Says So.
A client called me the morning after his mother died. He had her will, and she named him executor. The first question was, “Can I use the money in her checking account to pay the funeral home?” Unfortunately, the answer is no. In Connecticut, being named in a will...
How to Slash Your Estate’s Legal Bill (Before You Even Start)
When I am meeting with a client who is about to become an executor, one of the first questions is usually, “What is this going to cost?” The reality is that it is almost impossible to answer at the outset of an estate. The probate court's fee is set by statute and...
Before You Loan Your Child a Down Payment, Ask Yourself This
Here is a common scenario in my practice: Mom and Dad wanted to help their son, Jake, buy a first home. The bank would only lend him so much, so they offered to lend him $100,000, informally, to cover the balance, with a plan for Jake to pay them back "when he could."...
Buried in the Chain of Title: Understanding Restrictive Covenants
You're buying a house. The title search comes back and your attorney flags two deeds from the 1940s buried in the chain of title. Suddenly there's a laundry list of restrictions on what you cannot do with the property. Examples could include no expansion of...
That Issue You Found in the House: Is It Really a Dealbreaker?
For most buyers, the hardest part of a home purchase is not spotting a problem but deciding how much it should matter. That is where a good real estate team (realtor and attorney) earns its keep. The value experienced professionals bring is balance, objectivity, and...