Nursing Home

Testamentary Capacity

by Samuel S. Reidy, Esq.

February 18, 2021

Unfortunately, it has become an all-too-common story.  A loved one is stricken with dementia and during the period he or she does not have possession of all of their facilities, an estate planning change is suddenly made.  Sometimes this new (and often unexpected) estate planning means the changing of beneficiaries in a Will, or a new Health Care Proxy or Durable Power of Attorney being named, or the transfer of real estate.
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One of the biggest questions clients face when considering utilizing Trusts for their various assets is whether to use a Revocable or Irrevocable Trust.  It is a complicated question with no easy answer that will apply to every single client.  Some clients will prefer the added protection of the Irrevocable Trust while others like the flexibility that is allowed by a Revocable Trust.

In recent months, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court made a ruling on two important cases involving MassHealth (the state agency which administers benefits in Massachusetts) and Irrevocable Trusts. 

For many years, MassHealth would fight against the long-held notion that a home that was held in an Irrevocable Trust could not be held as a countable asset.
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