Bay Wealth Legal Group, LLP

Having done extensive substantive legal work in various large top tier law firms for 20+ years, I have been exposed to many exceptional and well respected attorneys, and I would put Mary Lin right along side of those individuals. Even putting her Harvard Law School pedigree aside, Mary is an exceptional attorney and legal representative. She spent most of her legal career at a boutique estate planning firm and cultivated her training and knowledge from the blood, sweat and tears shed for her clients, which exposed her to a broad variety of experiences. In speaking with Mary, it seems that she has pretty much seen it all when it comes to estate plans, requests, litigation, etc. I suspect she has even dealt with major media figures and celebrity types, but of course all of that information is held in her strictest confidences. None of these issues phase Mary and she is willing to handle anything from the most basic inexpensive estate plans to the most complex and costly… all of which she does with extreme professionalism, confidence, and most importantly, discretion. She makes her clients feel that they are equally important. Many of the issues and discussions/​decisions in estate planning can be difficult, but Mary recognizes the importance of full disclosure and understanding to ensure you understand everything needed for your family, why, tax implications, and how it will be handled upon execution of the plan. She clearly (and patiently!) explains the complicated legal terms, rules, laws, and process governing this area so you feel comfortable with a plan for any situation. She is extremely personable and especially caring to her clients to ensure that their needs are met at any financial level. I think that too many families assume that a proper estate plan is not financially viable for them (or necessary) and either put it off or don’t do one at all. Please don’t make this mistake. Mary will provide you with a well balanced plan and it won’t bust your budget. Since our initial project with Mary, I have sent other friends and family to get their estate plans in order. All of them have expressed similar positive comments about their experience and work product received. We are extremely lucky that Mary chose to start her own firm so be sure to take advantage of this opportunity!

I think you’d be hard pressed to find a better estate planning lawyer than Mary Lin. Not only is she technically skilled in estate planning and tax law (as judged by my own law firm background) but more importantly she is a person who can serve as a trusted advisor as you go work through difficult questions and important decisions about your family.
She looks beyond the rules and regulations in giving advice and is thoughtfully creative about solutions that best juggle life’s situations and optimal legal and tax consequences. (As an aside, tax consequences end up playing a very real consideration in planning, so it’s important to have an estate planning lawyer like Mary that thoroughly understands the complex tax regulations and can explain and make recommendations to someone in plain English).
I partnered with Mary to help plan my own family’s estate and to also help me work through my father’s planning in a difficult time.
I found her very professional, responsive, and delightful to work with.

Generally the first visit with a professional is to assess personal chemistry and evaluate competency to deal with your particular issue, be it legal or medical or accounting or tutoring. There is no work product expected, just discussion and conversation, with perhaps some advice as to next steps, sometimes with that professional, often another. As a patient-​centric physician, that has been my posture on a first meeting. I spend perhaps an hour or so at the end of the work day and generally do not bill the patient for what is in essence a «get to know you» social call. This has been my general experience in the past.
Occasionally the advice as to next steps does not comport with my own understanding, and I look elsewhere for corroboration one way or the other. In the case of tax questions, it is to an accountant. In the case of proposed surgery, it is another physician. Occasionally it is personal research with other experts. For an important life decision (creating an estate plan is in this category, or a critical medical procedure), there has to be concurrence. This did not occur when I checked out counterintuitive suggestions given by Mary Lin that had adverse tax consequences.
I have since considered other options and other attorneys with broader experience to deal with an unusual situation. My experience interviewing these attorneys aligns with the above, an hour to assess chemistry and competency. This time (perhaps reflecting our mutual maturity) has been given gratis, much as my time spent with meeting older patients for the first time.
Thus I was a bit surprised to receive an invoice (albeit with a 20% discount) for my «getting acquainted» discussion with Mary that left me with uncertainties later verified. I will pay her bill but am unlikely to proceed further. I had positive expectations from early background checking, a slightly negative opinion when there was a disconnect with advice from other professionals, that is now exacerbated by «paying for bad advice».
Perhaps it is a generational difference (I am twice Mary’s age), or a cultural difference, or simply a professional difference between practicing medicine and practicing law. But I do feel that full trust and reliance is necessary as one executes end-​of-​life decisions, be they legal or medical. This review is provided not as a criticism but as a commentary on choosing help with estate planning. One has to get it right. Without doubt.

We worked with Mary H. Lin to set up our estate. She’s articulate, patient, friendly and helpful. I’ll write something better and more detailed about Bay Wealth Legal in a day or two, but I wanted to get the first review! :)
Please mock me mercilessly if I don’t rewrite this in a day or two.