We at Downey Law Group wish everyone a happy and healthy holiday season. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy New Year!

When a loved one passes away, the last thing a grieving family wants to face is a drawn-out legal process. Yet for many, probate—the court-supervised process of validating a will and distributing assets—can become a costly, time-consuming ordeal. The good news? With the right planning, probate doesn’t have to be a nightmare.   What Is Probate and Why Does It Matter? Probate is the legal process through which a deceased person’s estate is administered. It involves: Validating

When preparing for a major purchase like a home, it's always best to know and understand your credit score. A credit score is a number typically between 300 (poor) and 850 (excellent) that reflects your creditworthiness, or how likely you are to repay borrowed money. It's crucial because lenders use it to decide whether to approve loans and what interest rates to offer. Your credit score is calculated based on several factors, such as payment history, amount owed, length o

The new Massachusetts home inspection law protects the right to have a home inspected by a licensed inspector before choosing to finalize the purchase of the home. As such, sellers and agents cannot accept or request an offer that requires a buyer to waive their right to an inspection.   This ensures the buyer has an opportunity to find and hire an inspector and then decide if they will proceed based on the results of the inspection. Even if the seller provides an inspection

Effective November 1, 2025   The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has adopted a new withholding tax on the sale of real estate for sellers who meet the following requirements: 1)       The seller is a nonresident of Massachusetts; and 2)      The total sales price of the real estate meets or exceeds $1,000,000.00.   Massachusetts is the next to join several states with similar withholding laws. The purpose of this withholding tax is to make certain non-resident, out-

According to the American Bar Association, 64% of Americans do not have a Last Will and Testament or a Trust.   These are pretty...

Unlock peace of mind and take control of your future at our dynamic Estate Planning Seminar—where expert insights meet real-life...

Creating a will is one of the most meaningful steps you can take to protect your loved ones and ensure your wishes are honored after...

Do you have a child who just graduated high school and is about to begin their college journey? If so, it’s important to be aware that...

Cue the fireworks and fire up the grill—it's time to celebrate America in style! On behalf of everyone at Downey Law Group LLC, we want...