Christine N. Fletcher
Partner | Chair, Trusts & Estates | Co-Chair, Private Client

overview
Christine Fletcher has more than two decades of experience advising clients through the legal aspects of personal life. Her practice concentrates on estate planning, trust and estate administration, probate litigation, and family business matters. She helps individuals and families create sophisticated estate plans, minimize estate taxes, and ensure assets pass to intended recipients while navigating the legalities of death, marriage, prenuptial agreements, buying out a family business, and more. She serves as chair of the firm’s Trusts & Estates Group and co-chair of the Private Client Group and is a regular contributor to Forbes.com.
Her estate planning work includes addressing the complexities caused by second marriages and blended families, divorce, and crises. She also is adept at developing plans with a charitable purpose while still providing for family members and loved ones in a tax-efficient manner.
education
J.D., Syracuse University College of Law, 1994
B.A., cum laude, Boston University, 1991
admissions
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
honors & awards
Boston Magazine’s Top Lawyers, Trusts and Estate (2021, 2022)
A Top Author in Wealth Management, 2020 JD Supra Readers’ Choice Awards
Named to the 2018 Women Worth Watching® List by Profiles in Diversity Journal
National Association of Estate Planners & Councils (NAEPC) – Accredited Estate Planner designee (2017)
experience
- Estate Planning
- Tax Planning
- International Planning
- Charitable Planning
- Prenuptial Agreements
- Guardianships
- Probate & Trust Administration
- Contested Estates
- Business Succession Planning
- Corporate & Business Law
memberships
Boston Estate Planning Council
- Board of Directors
Boston Bar Association
Family Firm Institute
Boston Probate & Estate Planning Forum
Syracuse University Professional Advisor Network
articles
articles
Christine is a regular contributor for Forbes.com where she gives advice on successfully managing trusts and estates.
“Make Time To Start And Finish Your Estate Plan,” Forbes.com, March 2022
“7 Considerations For Distributing Trust Assets to Your Children,” Forbes.com, February 2022
“Protecting Your Inheritance From Your Spouse,”Forbes.com, February 2022
“10 Tips For Being A Terrific Trustee,” Forbes.com, January 2022
“What Happened To The Expected Year-End Estate Tax Changes?,” Forbes.com, December 2021
“5 Ways People Mess Up Their Estate Plan,” Forbes.com, October 2021
“What You Need To Know About the $11 Million Estate Tax Exemption Going Away,” Forbes.com, September 2021
“What Gen Z Needs To Know About Estate Taxes,” Forbes.com, August 2021
“5 Power of Attorney Clauses You Need To Focus On,” Forbes.com, July 2021
“Should You Disinherit Your Child?” Forbes.com, June 2021
“5 Best Practices for Virtual vs. In-Person Notarization,” Forbes.com, June 2021
“5 Reasons to Have Your Parents’ Estate Plan Reviewed,” Forbes.com, May 2021
“5 Ways to Prevent Lost Heirs From Ruining Your Estate Plan,” Forbes.com, April 2021
“5 Ways to Protect Your Bank Account After You Die,” Forbes.com, April 2021
“4 Things You Should Know About Silent Trusts,” Forbes.com, March 2021
“Should Your Life Insurance Be in an Irrevocable Trust?” Forbes.com, February 2021
“Should a SLAT Be Part of Your Estate Planning?” Forbes.com, February 2021
“5 Ways a Democratic Controlled White House, Senate, and House Could Affect Your Estate Planning,” Forbes.com, January 2021
“Your Spouse is Dying: 5 Ways To Get Your Estate in Order Now,” Forbes.com, January 2021
“Does Your Adult Child Need a Will,” Forbes.com, December 2020
“What Does a Biden White House Mean for Estate Taxes,” Forbes.com, November 2020
“Demystifying the Estate Plan,” Forbes.com, October 2020
“If Biden Wins, Should You Gift?” Forbes.com, October 2020
“What You Need to Know About Updating Your Power of Attorney Now,” Forbes.com, September 2020
“Thinking About the Unthinkable in Your Estate Planning,” Forbes.com, September 2020
“4 Things You Should Know About the Death Tax Exemption,” Forbes.com, August 2020
“Divorcing During COVID? 5 Things You Need to Know,” Forbes.com, July 2020
“Don’t Overlook Your Trust Funding,” Forbes.com, July 2020
“Who Will Pay Your Estate Taxes?” Forbes.com, June 2020
“Should ‘Do Not Resuscitate’ Be Part of Your Estate Plan?” Forbes.com, May 2020
“Administering an Estate During The COVID-19 Crisis,” Forbes.com, April 2020
“6 Parts of Your Estate Plan You Should Review Now,” Forbes.com, April 2020
“Eight Estate Planning Strategies in a COVID-19 World,” Forbes.com, March 2020
“Take Advantage of Trump’s Tax Law Benefits Before They Are Gone,” Forbes.com, February 2020
“10 Estate Planning Ways to Say ‘I Love You’,” Forbes.com, February 2020
“10 Tips for Choosing a Guardian for Your Minor Child,” Forbes.com, January 2020
“Will the SECURE Act Make Your Retirement More Secure?” Forbes.com, January 2020
“Why UTMA Accounts Are Not as Simple As They Seem,” Forbes.com, December 2019
“Why You Should Take Advantage of Trump’s Estate Tax Laws Now,” Forbes.com, November 2019
“The Pros and Cons Of Electronic Wills,” Forbes.com, October 2019
“What Family Businesses Need To Know About Gifting Business Interests,” Forbes.com, October 2019
“7 Ways That Beneficiary Designations Can Mess Up Your Estate Plan,” Forbes.com, September 2019
“9 Things you Need To Know About Power Of Attorney,” Forbes.com, September 2019
“Why You Should Change Your Will Now,” Forbes.com, August 2019
“Keeping Your Estate Planning Documents Safe,” Forbes.com, August 2019
“Why Writing Your Own Will Is A Bad Idea,” Forbes.com, July 2019
“Why A Simple Will Won’t Cut It If You Have Young Children,” Forbes.com, July 2019
“Six Ways to Protect Your Surviving Spouse From A Charlatan,” Forbes.com, June 2019
“A Beginners Guide to Reading a Trust,” Forbes.com, June 2019
“How to Choose A Trustee,” Forbes.com, May 2019
“8 Things You Need To Know About The Death Tax Before You Die,” Forbes.com, May 2019
“6 Estate Planning Tips for Blended Families,” Forbes.com, April 2019
“How To Avoid The 8 Biggest Executor Mistakes,” Forbes.com, April 2019
“Special Needs Kids Require Specialized Estate Planning,” Forbes.com, March 2019
“5 Estate Planning Strategies for Singles,” Forbes.com, March 2019
“10 Reasons Why You Need A Trust,” Forbes.com, February 2019
“6 Ways To Protect Your Foreign Assets in Estate Planning,” Forbes.com, January 2019
“9 Things You Need To Know About Estate Planning After Divorce,” Forbes.com, January 2019
“How To Maximize Your Year-End Charitable Gifts,” Forbes.com, December 2018
“How To Make Your Estate Plan Doomsday Ready,” Forbes.com, December 2018
features
“People Moves of the Week,” Mergers & Acquisitions Magazine, March 2014
interviews
“Q&A: Estate Planning During COVID-19,” Boston Citybizlist, April 2020
quotes
“Trump says he won’t unload his businesses,” Boston Globe, January 2017
“Romney Trustee: Trump Should Sell His Business Interests,” Boston Globe, November 2016
speaking engagements
“Trusts and Estates – What to Expect from the Biden Administration,” Panelist, Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, February 2021
“NPEPC Virtual Lunch Round Table Discussion,” Moderator, Norfolk & Plymouth Estate and Business Council, September 2020
“Fundamentals of Estate Planning – PART TWO,” Presenter, BEPC Seminar, May 2019
“Ten Things to Know in Talking to your Kids About Prenups,” Moderator, BEPC Members Round Table Breakfast, February 2019
“Probate Law for Paralegals,” Panelist, MCLE 18th Annual Paralegal Conference, June 2016
“Coordinating Estate Plans and Business Assets,” Speaker, Boston Estate Planning Council Roundtable Breakfast, October 2015
“Asset Protection Planning and Charitable Planning,” Speaker, Foxmoor Continuing Education: Estate Planning, May 2015
“Case Study: Succession Planning for Charlie and Sally Jones,” Speaker, Foxmoor Continuing Education: Estate Planning, May 2015
“Practicing Under the New MUPC and MUTC,” Speaker, Boston Estate Planning Council Roundtable Breakfast, February 2013
“Executive Employment Agreements for Private Companies,” Speaker, MCLE Program, October 2010