🌟 32 Years of Expertise at Your Service! 🌟

After many years of helping people with estate planning in Lexington, I’m taking time to enjoy biking, kayaking, hiking, and more. But I still care about your future!

I can help you find trusted lawyers who know how important it is to protect what matters most to you.
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This isn’t just retirement—it’s a new way of doing things. And for you, it means finding the right support for your estate planning needs.

Update - March 1, 2025

Hello!

Thank you for visiting our page. Whether you are a past client or visiting for the first time, I have an important update to share: After many rewarding years, we have decided to close our physical law office.

As a licensed attorney in Massachusetts, I will in the future direct clients and others to independent, trusted estate attorneys due to constraints in my schedule.

When you fill out our form and get a referral from us, you're getting help from a lawyer who already knows about the paperwork we've done for you. The lawyers we recommend have great teams and are really good at talking to people. This means everything will work smoothly, and it will be cheaper, faster, and done right by experts in estate law. We do this to make things easy and good for you.
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• We’ve discussed with a trusted law firm or two to seamlessly send them an email with the info you supply below. No other use of the information is done.
• To discuss updates, amendments, or handle matters after a death, just fill out the provided form. 

Warm regards,

Joel Bernstein and Barbara Kelly
Law Office of Joel Bernstein

Need an estate attorney?

​If you're looking for legal assistance with estate planning or post-death administration of a will or trust, we can connect you with a trusted estate attorney. Simply fill out the form below, and we'll notify a capable attorney on your behalf.

✅ Easy & Quick: Submit your request in minutes.
✅ Attorney Alert: We notify them of your need for legal help.
✅ Confirmation: You and the attorney will receive an email confirmation. No legal relationship is established unless a signed fee agreement is in place.
✅ Referral Fee Disclosure: The attorney may pay us a referral fee, which does not affect your legal costs.

LET US REFER YOU

By submitting this form, you waive attorney-client privilege if you are a former client.
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​On a personal note...  Thank you to our clients for your trust and loyalty.

About 20 years ago, my clients' inquiries and legal challenges ignited my early morning routine of reading about trust and estate planning law, including law reviews on relevant topics.

This habit has honed (but not perfected) my analytical, writing, and advisory skills, informed by authoritative texts from Charles Rounds, Esq., Jeffrey Pennell, Esq., and Bryan Garner, Esq.  Incidentally, accompanied by a cup of coffee, I found these sessions thoroughly enjoyable.​

​Now, I look forward to more time for my other interests. Life is relatively short.

Thank you to Todd Clarke and Jane Whitmore. A special thanks to Barbara Kelly—a true partner—who helped countless people take their first steps in estate planning. Your phone work was outstanding.

Joel Bernstein, March 2025

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If you don’t make an assertive decision, the universe will make it for you.

And it won’t be the one you want.