"I help clients who are going through some of the most difficult times of their lives. Based on a thorough knowledge of the substantive law and the court's procedure, I enjoy developing a plan to help clients address the issue at hand while navigating the emotional complexities of the family's unique situation."
As a partner in the firm's Private Client Group and a prior Law Clerk on the Massachusetts Appeals Court, Hether Cahill represents individuals and professional fiduciaries in estate and trust matters, guardianships/conservatorships, and family law.
Massachusetts, State and Federal
First Circuit Court of Appeals
Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals
J.D., Suffolk University Law School
B.A., Skidmore College
Named to the 2020 "Top Women of Law" list by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly
Massachusetts Super Lawyers (2020-2021)
Massachusetts Rising Stars (2009, 2011-2012, 2017-2018)
Boston Chamber of Commerce Women’s Leadership Program (2016-2017)
AV® Preeminent Rating by Martindale-Hubbell
Massachusetts Bar Association
Boston Bar Association
Boston Probate and Estate Planning Forum
Trusts & Estates Consortium
Boston Estate Planning Council
Brookline Community Foundation's Professional Advisors Committee
The Mount, Boston Committee
Boston Chamber of Commerce Women's Leadership Program (2016-2017)
Ran Boston Marathon 2019 with Team Brookline
“What We Can Learn from Britney Spears: When Guardianships and Conservatorships Go Wrong,” Co-Presenter, Massachusetts Guardianship Association/Social Law Library Annual Conference, September 2021
“Conflicts of Interest in Estate Planning and Administration, and Best Practices to Avoid Them, from the Perspective of a Probate and Trust Litigator,” Boston Estate Planning Council Roundtable Breakfast, June 2021
“Why Trusts/Estates Lawyers Need to Know Divorce Law Basics of Trusts, Inheritances, Gifts, and Other Interests,” Co-Presenter, Massachusetts Bar Association Eighth Annual Probate Law Conference, November 2020
“Protecting the Interests of Incapacitated Persons: Issues and Considerations for Fiduciaries and Agents,” Co-Moderator, Boston Bar Association Fiduciary Litigation Committee & Elder Law Committee, Webinar, June 2, 2020
“From a Litigation Perspective, Conflicts of Interest Arising in Estate Planning and Trust and Estate Administration,” Boston Probate and Estate Planning Forum, February 5, 2020
“Breaking Through the Glass Ceiling,” Counsel to Counsel with Stephen Seckler, Esq. Podcast, January 21, 2020
"Depositions," Panelist, MCLE Taking Depositions Workshop, October 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019
“Understanding and Utilizing the Fiduciary Litigation Session,” Co-Moderator, Boston Bar Association Fiduciary Litigation Committee brown bag luncheon, October 15, 2019
"Discovery Methods," MCLE Pretrial Litigation Primer, October 2, 2019
"Evidentiary Issues in Guardianship Cases," Speaker, Massachusetts Guardianship Association Annual Guardianship Conference, November 2018
"Wills, Trusts, Probate & Estate Litigation," Speaker, Newton Community Education Seminar, June and September 2016, and May and October 2017
“Estate Planning Strategies to Help Avoid Family Strife,” Radio Entrepreneurs interview, March 2017
"Guardianship, Conservatorship, & Special Needs Planning," Speaker, Newton Community Education Seminar, May 2016
“Cy Pres and Deviation,” MCLE Fiduciary Litigation in the Probate Court 5th Edition, 2021
“Why Trusts/Estates Lawyers Need to Know Divorce Law Basics of Trusts, Inheritances, Gifts, and Other Interests,” Co-Presenter, Massachusetts Bar Association Eighth Annual Probate Law Conference, November 12, 2020
"Cy Pres and Deviation," MCLE Fiduciary Litigation in the Probate Court 4th Edition, 2019
“Limits on Attorney’s Fees,” Massachusetts Bar Association Fifth Annual Probate Law Conference, November 2017
“Using Guardianship of Minors as Leverage to Change Addiction Issues of Parents,” Massachusetts Bar Association Fifth Annual Probate Law Conference, November 2017
“Leveraging Addiction Recovery in Parents by Use of Guardianship of Minors,” Boston Spirit Magazine, September/October 2017
“Guardianship,” MCLE Using Estate Planning to Leverage Treatment of Addiction & Mental Illness, April 2017
"Cy Pres and Deviation," MCLE Fiduciary Litigation in the Probate Court 3rd Edition, November 2016
“Equity Actions to Determine Ownership, Recover Assets,” Massachusetts Bar Association Fourth Annual Probate Law Conference, November 2016
"It's STILL Not Too Late to Act!" Massachusetts Divorce Law Monitor, June 2016
"It's Not Too Late to Act!" Massachusetts Divorce Law Monitor, April 2016
"Civil Law - When to Appeal from a Final Decision: After a Decision on the Merits, or After a Subsequent Decision Concerning Attorney's Fees? Roy Haluch Gravel Co. v. Central Pension Fund, -U.S.-, 134 S. Ct. 773 (2014)" Massachusetts Law Review Volume 96, No. 4, August 2015
"Civil Law - Abolishing the Distinction Between Natural and Unnatural Accumulations of Snow and Ice When Determining Negligence of Property Owner, Papadopoulos v. Target Corp., 457 Mass. 368 (2010)," Massachusetts Law Review, Volume 94, No. 1, September 2011
"Book Review - When Law Fails: Making Sense of Miscarriages of Justice," Massachusetts Law Review, Volume 93, No. 1, June 2010
"Employment Law - Combining Non-Consecutive Periods of Employment to Qualify as 'Eligible Employee' Under the Family Medical Leave Act Rucker v. Lee Holding Co.,471 F. 3d 6 (1st Cir. 2006)," Massachusetts Law Review Volume 91, No. 4, January 2009
Hether is a co-founder and editor of Beyond the Will, Burns & Levinson's probate litigation blog.
Recent Posts:
"Pumphrey, Daughter, Named to Super Lawyers List," The Berkshire Eagle, November 2020
"Victim's Son Can't Access Murderer's Spendthrift Trust," Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, October 2020
J.D., Suffolk University Law School
B.A., Skidmore College
Massachusetts, State and Federal
First Circuit Court of Appeals
Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals
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