Frequently Asked Questions

We handle both residential and commercial real estate transactions, including purchasing, selling, leasing, and investing in property. Whether you're buying your first home or acquiring a commercial investment, our team is here to guide you throughout the process.

You should contact us as soon as you're serious about entering a contract-ideally before you sign anything. Early legal involvement ensures your interests are protected, removes ambiguities from the contract, and helps you avoid common pitfalls.

Residential real estate typically involves tighter consumer protections, simpler zoning issues, and smaller scale financing. Commercial real estate often requires more detailed due diligence (zoning, environmental, lease terms), more complex contracts, and a greater focus on investment returns. We're equipped to handle both.

Yes. Whether you're buying a rental property, establishing a landlord business, or investing in commercial properties, we provide legal support for contract drafting/review, entity structuring, landlord-tenant issues, and compliance matters.

An estate plan is a set of legal documents (such as a will, trust, power of attorney, and healthcare proxy) that determine how your assets will be managed, distributed, and looked after if you become incapacitated. Planning ahead ensures your wishes are respected and your family's well-being is protected.

A will is a legal document that directs how your assets will be distributed upon death. A trust (revocable or irrevocable) can operate during your lifetime, allows assets to pass more privately, and can help avoid probate. We'll help you determine which is best for your situation.

A Power of Attorney grants someone you select the authority to handle your financial or legal matters if you become unable to do so. A Healthcare Proxy allows someone to make medical decisions on your behalf if you're incapacitated. Both are critical pieces of a complete estate plan.

You should review your estate plan every 3-5 years, or sooner if you experience major life changes (marriage, divorce, birth of a child, significant asset changes, etc.). We offer review sessions to ensure your documents remain current and effective.

Probate is the legal process of administering a deceased person's estate: validating the will, paying debts, and distributing assets to beneficiaries. It may be required depending on the state, size of the estate, and whether the deceased had a trust. We assist in navigating Massachusetts and other applicable laws.

The timeline varies based on complexity, whether the estate is contested, and the number of assets. It might take a few months for uncomplicated estates, or a year or more for complex or contested ones. We provide realistic expectations based on your case.

Yes. If someone dies without a valid will, the estate goes through intestacy laws, and state statutes determine how assets are distributed. We guide executors or administrators through those processes and help ensure everything is done properly.

We serve clients in Agawam, West Springfield, Westfield, and the broader Pioneer Valley region in Massachusetts. We also regularly assist clients who have properties or estate matters spanning multiple jurisdictions.

Simply contact our office to schedule a consultation. We'll review your situation, explain the process, and map out a plan tailored to your needs-whether your goal is buying or selling real estate, creating or reviewing an estate plan, or administering an estate.

Fee structures vary depending on the service: real estate transactions often involve fixed fees or flat-fee add-ons; estate planning may be flat-fee based; and probate is frequently hourly or a percentage of the estate, depending on the case. We'll discuss all costs upfront with transparency.