Mr. Bernstein received his Juris Doctor degree from Western New England School of Law in 1979. For over twenty five years, he has successfully represented individual clients in the Boston area. Passionate about providing thorough and highly personalized service, Mr. Bernstein works with clients to achieve both protection and planning for the future.

Joel's story

I left a childhood in NYC to become an attorney who has lived for 35 years in Massachusetts.

My journey towards being a 'Plain English' trusts and estates attorney began when I was 31. I automated the deeding system at Hawk Mountain Corporation in Vermont, where I then lived in the mid-1980s.

Then I bought my first computer (1984), wrote a description of the process for myself, and soon the American Bar Association somehow found the article and appointed me a technology columnist for their well-known journal Probate and Property.

After moving to Massachusetts with my wife, I took a graduate Tax Law Degree and learned about Living Trusts from the leading California attorneys in the field.

By 2010 I met Professor Charles Rounds, Jr., a prominent trust scholar and studied with him. I read about plain English in books by Bryan Garner, the leading proponent in the field and author of over 15 books.

The often-overlooked area between strong substantive knowledge, automation, and plain English interested me. Since 1993 I have focused entirely in the area, have spoken professionally about 350 times, and have written over 3,000 wills and trusts.

Finally, I read most early mornings, about 6 am for 45 minutes, some facet of estate planning law. I find both the time of day and the length of reading to be optimal for me.

I've done this for about 20 years and thoroughly enjoy it - with a cup of coffee or two in hand. Knowledge doesn't come by osmosis, at least to me.

Professional Background

Joel Bernstein is a Lexington, MA estate planning and post-death attorney. He is the principal of MA Wills and Trusts, an estate planning law firm.

Since 1992, MA residents have valued and given many reviews of his innovative work for two primary reasons:

Attorney has Single Focus in Law

First, they appreciate our single focus for over 28 years, not distracted by other legal areas.

Websites of other lawyers generally list many areas of practice, (divorce, personal injury, etc.) leading to dispersed knowledge and firms not optimized for wills and trusts. And weak post-death administration systems.

But, like many areas of work (and play), we feel that more-in-depth understanding, more nuanced thinking, and better results tend to come from a single focus.

Plain English approach

Second, MA residents have learned of Attorney Bernstein's keen interest in the plain English approach to documents, letters, and speaking style.

While this complex area of law sometimes needs some dense language, he works hard to minimize it.

Law Degrees including Tax Law Degree

Hobart College, Geneva, NY English major
Western New England School of Law, Springfield, MA JD Law degree
Vermont Law School, S. Royalton, VT Masters in Environmental law
Boston University, Boston, MA Masters in Tax law

Published author/editor in journal, treatise

Technology columnist for a national publication, American Bar Association, Probate and Property - 1986-1989
Edited chapter in the 122 year old treatise, Rounds and Rounds, A Trustee's Handbook on the Administrative Trust
Wrote three articles for national journal Law Office Economics and Management 1989 - 1994

Detailed biography of attorney

In house counsel for real estate corporation

His first legal job was the attorney for the then well-known VT company, Hawk Mountain Corporation.

This company built environmentally sensitive homes in Vermont's Green Mountains.
By 1984 he'd computerized the way the builder created deeds to achieve higher accuracy and speed. PCs were still new, and his work was innovative.

While living in Woodstock, Vermont, he wrote his first article, describing the process he'd created at Hawk Mountain.

By 1985, the American Bar Association (ABA) read the description and on that account appointed him as technology chief for their Real Estate User Group and columnist for their national journal, Probate and Property.

Two advanced law degrees

Seeing Vermont's beauty led him to a life-long study of all aspects of Property law.

Soon after arriving in VT, he earned a second law degree in Environmental Law at VT Law School.
Meeting his wife in VT by 1981, they moved to her native MA in 1985.
In MA, he studied taxation law and earned, by 1989, another law degree from Boston University.

American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys

Starting about 1992, he learned about revocable living trusts (the modern approach to estate planning) from the San Diego based American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys. The Academy appointed him to its board of governors.

Public talks innovator

Starting in 1993, he was among the first MA attorneys to give public talks about the revocable living trust as a better alternative for some people to having a will.

He enjoyed speaking on the topic and still does it, although less frequently.

Lectures for attorneys and accountants and featured speaker

After seeing his public talks, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of MA, Charles Schwab, and the Foundation for Continuing Education engaged him to give continuing education to attorneys and accountants.

Because of his automation and efficiency skills, he found the time to do this despite a busy law practice.
By 2000, he had given over 300 public and private talks. The audiences included the American Bar Association, MA Society of CPAs, MA Society of Enrolled Agents, and Surgent McCoy on a national CPA level.

Professor Charles Rounds, Jr.

In 2008, he'd met and studied under Professor Charles Rounds, Jr. of Suffolk University, the editor to the (1898) Loring and Rounds: A Trustee's Handbook, a leading authority in the trust field.

He suggested and edited a section in the treatise on the topic of the Administrative Trust. Professor Rounds refers to him in the book for Joel's work in the area of automating the post-death administration of trusts.

--- The lighter side ---

Homer and Marge's successful adventure in estate planning
Created by Homer 'Joel' Simpson (a break from legal documents)

Would you like a quick overview?
Click on the video below and see Joel on public TV.

Public TV Interview of Joel Bernstein

From the TV interview on Lexington cable, August 2016. Discussing:

the basics of wills and trusts
how he works with clients
the importance of keeping your estate planning up-to-date

Joel A. Bernstein, Esq.