Estate Planning With Sheri

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Estate Planning With Sheri

My mission is to empower my clients to protect their legacy by making planned decisions through Estate Planning and Elder Law.

Sheri concentrates her practice in the areas of estate and tax planning, asset protection planning, business succession planning, corporate, elder law, probate, guardianship, trust and estate administration, special needs planning and Medicaid planning. She has over 18 years of experience providing counsel to business owners, individuals and families. Sheri owns and manages her own practice, Estat

e Planning With Sheri Montecalvo located in Providence, RI. Sheri takes pride in serving as a trusted advisor to her long-standing clients and their future family generations. She will see her clients through the entire process from document creation, re-titling of assets and complete estate/trust administration.

06/22/2026

A recent situation involving a new client reminded me why reviewing beneficiary designations matters so much.

Years after a divorce was finalized, an ex-spouse was still listed as the beneficiary on a financial account.

The client assumed their estate plan and divorce decree had taken care of everything. Unfortunately, beneficiary designations often operate independently from your will or trust.

It's one of the most overlooked parts of estate planning.

Life changes. Marriages, divorces, births, deaths, and new relationships happen, but beneficiary forms are often forgotten. When that happens, assets may pass in ways you never intended.

Reviewing your beneficiary designations only takes a few minutes, but failing to do so can have lasting consequences for the people you love.

Fortunately, when this new client came to us, our review uncovered the outdated beneficiary designation, allowing them to make the necessary changes before it became a larger problem.

It's a good reminder that even if you already have an estate plan in place, beneficiary designations should be reviewed regularly, especially after a major life event.

If you haven't reviewed your estate plan, beneficiary designations, and account ownership recently, now may be a good time to do so.

When was the last time you reviewed yours?

Estate Planning with Sheri Montecalvo has been helping Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut families protect what matters most for over two decades. If you're ready to create or update your estate plan, we're here to help.

06/04/2026

Your graduate may be ready for adulthood, but is adulthood ready for them? Here's what every family should know before a child turns 18.

Between graduation parties, final exams, college plans, job applications, and celebrating everything they've accomplished, there's one important milestone that often gets overlooked.

The moment your child turns 18, they become a legal adult.

Whether they're heading to college, the military, the workforce, or taking time to figure out their next step, this change affects every young adult the same way.

That means your parents or guardians can’t automatically step in to help if there’s an emergency. Medical, financial, or even academic unless the right documents are in place.

Here’s what you really need before graduation:

Health Care Proxy
This gives your parent (or whoever you choose) the legal right to make medical decisions on your behalf if you’re ever unable to. It’s a huge relief to know someone you trust is already in place if you need backup.

HIPAA Authorization
Without this, doctors and hospitals can’t share your medical info ... even with your parents. A HIPAA form ensures they can speak openly and get answers if you’re in the hospital.

Durable Power of Attorney
From helping with financial aid forms to handling banking hiccups or lease questions, this document lets someone act on your behalf for legal and financial matters.

FERPA Release
Colleges won’t share grades, billing info, or let your parents know if you’ve missed class (okay, maybe you don't want them to know that one), unless you give permission. A FERPA release ensures your chosen adult can communicate with your school when needed.

Basic Will
It may feel like you're too young, but having a simple will is just smart planning. It provides clarity and direction if something were to happen, and makes sure your wishes are known and honored.

I know this is the stuff that doesn't get mentioned at graduation parties.

That's why we've created a Young Adult Planning Package designed specifically for graduates and their families. It helps ensure the right people can step in and help when it matters most, providing peace of mind as your young adult begins this next chapter.

Adulthood comes with new opportunities, greater independence, and important legal changes that many families don't anticipate. Taking care of these documents now can help prevent unnecessary stress and uncertainty later.

Congratulations to the Class of 2026! I'm excited about your next chapter and look forward to helping you start it with confidence.

If you'd like to learn more about our Young Adult Planning Package or get started, fill out the form below and we'll be in touch.

05/13/2026

Loved being part of the Women & Wealth brunch hosted by Washington Trust at Ocean House. There’s something really special about connecting with women and having thoughtful conversations about planning for the future, protecting their families, and building lives they feel proud of. Grateful to be part of such a wonderful gathering.

05/08/2026

We’re honored to introduce Elder Law Collaborative, LLC an extension of Estate Planning with Sheri L. Montecalvo, LLC, focused on providing practical, ongoing support for individuals and families navigating the complexities that can come with aging, care needs, and financial management.

Elder Law Collaborative, LLC was created to provide structure, clarity, and support when ongoing financial responsibilities, care coordination, and decision-making require more hands-on involvement.

Estate Planning with Sheri focuses on creating and establishing your plan. Elder Law Collaborative provides ongoing support to help carry out and manage those plans when life requires continued attention and coordination.

We assist in three core areas:

• Bill Pay & Financial Oversight�Comprehensive management and tracking of ongoing financial responsibilities, including utilities, mortgages, insurance, medical expenses, and long-term care costs. We help ensure everything is organized, monitored, and accounted for with care and consistency.

• Trustee Accounting & Administration�Clear and accurate trust accounting that tracks income, expenses, and distributions. This provides transparency and organization, helping ensure records are always current and ready for tax preparation or review.

• Elder Care Coordination & Advocacy�Support in navigating care options based on individual needs and circumstances. This includes assistance with nursing home and assisted living placement, in-home care coordination, and connection to available programs and resources.

At its core, this work is about helping families feel more supported during periods that can feel overwhelming or complex.

If you are caring for a loved one, managing their affairs, or finding that the responsibility has become more than you expected to carry alone, we are here to help.

We invite you to reach out to learn more about Elder Law Collaborative and how we can support your family’s specific situation. Together, we will talk through your needs and determine what level of support aligns for you.

05/05/2026

We had a wonderful time at the Rhode Island Assisted Living Conference where a community of professionals came together, all working toward the same goal - to support individuals and families with care and intention.

It was a great day of connection, collaboration, and meaningful conversation. An important reminder that the best outcomes come from working together, and we’re grateful to be part of a community that values that approach.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by to connect with us!

04/27/2026

The One Conversation Every Mom Needs to Have (But Most Avoid)

There’s a moment most moms know well and it’s usually not during the big milestones.

It’s in the quiet, in-between. Folding laundry. Sitting in the car after drop-off. Packing lunches for the next day.

And the thought sneaks in:

If something happened to me … would everything actually be okay for my kids?

Not just emotionally, but legally.

It’s an uncomfortable thought, so it gets pushed aside. Life is full, schedules are packed, and it’s easy to assume it’s something you’ll get to “later.”

When you’re a parent, this kind of planning becomes less about assets and more about decisions:

-Who steps in to raise your children?
-Who makes decisions in an emergency?
-How is money handled for their care and future?
-How do you keep your family out of court during an already difficult time?

Without a plan, those answers may be left up to a judge - someone who’s never met your family.

Even a simple plan can put the right people in place, create structure for your kids’ future, and remove unnecessary stress for your family.

If this is something that’s been sitting in the back of your mind, you’re not alone.

If you’re ready to move from “I should probably do this” to something actually in place, as an estate planner and mom myself, I’m here to help guide you through it.

04/17/2026

One of the most productive meetings we had this week wasn’t just with a client, it was with two generations planning together.

A mother and daughter came into our office with a shared goal: to be proactive and thoughtful about what comes next.

Together, they’re planning for probate avoidance, estate tax efficiency, and Medicaid planning, but more importantly, they wanted to make sure their decisions worked together.

The mother is thinking about protecting what she’s built and planning for long-term care. The daughter is focused on preserving those assets and minimizing future tax exposure.

When families are willing to have these conversations early, planning becomes a lot more intentional. It gives us the ability to structure a plan in a way that supports care, preserves wealth, and avoids unnecessary complications down the road.

There’s something powerful about sitting down together and building a plan that reflects not just individual goals, but shared ones.

Those conversations don’t always feel easy to start, but they’re often the ones that create the most clarity, the most alignment, and ultimately, the most peace of mind.

03/30/2026

As a physician, you’re often the calm in someone else’s emergency. You make critical decisions quickly, guide families through uncertainty and prepare for outcomes most people hope they never face.

That perspective is something most people don’t have, and it naturally shapes how many physicians think about planning.

You understand, better than anyone, how quickly circumstances can change. And while your focus is on your patients, your own planning is often the thing that gets pushed to the side.

If that emergency were yours, would everything outside the practice be just as prepared?

With a demanding career, growing assets, and increased exposure to liability, physicians benefit from having a plan that accounts for those realities. A plan that clearly outlines who can step in to make medical and financial decisions if needed, how income and obligations are handled during a period of incapacity, and how what you’ve built is protected.

And for physicians who own or operate their own practice, there’s an added layer to consider. Patient care doesn’t simply pause. Having clear direction around practice continuity, patient record custody, HIPAA compliance, and how care is transitioned or the practice is wound down or transferred is just as important as personal planning.

Taking the time to put a plan in place means those decisions aren’t left to chance. The people you trust are empowered to step in, your patients are accounted for, and your family isn’t left to navigate uncertainty without guidance.

If planning has been on your to-do list for a while, or if it’s been years since you’ve reviewed it, this is a good time to revisit.

Wishing you a Happy Doctor’s Day! Thank you for the care and dedication you bring to your patients and our community every day!

03/26/2026

Handling the loss of a loved one is hard enough. But if your family has assets in more than one country, the process can feel even more overwhelming.

We’re currently guiding a family through probate in Germany, along with an ancillary probate here in Connecticut.

Many families assume that having a will in place means everything can be handled in one process. In reality, when assets are held in different countries (or even different states) each jurisdiction requires its own probate proceeding to transfer those assets.

Each process has its own rules, timelines, and documentation requirements. Coordinating between them can often add stress during an already emotional time.

That’s where we come in, we’re currently guiding this family through both proceedings, keeping everything aligned and helping them focus on honoring their loved one rather than navigating legal complexities.

These situations are becoming more common as families relocate, inherit property abroad, or maintain homes in multiple countries. With careful planning, it’s often possible to simplify probate or even reduce the need for multiple probate proceedings.

If your family owns property here and abroad, taking proactive steps now can make a meaningful difference for your loved ones later. Does your estate plan account for that? If not, I’m happy to guide you.

Address

272 West Exchange Street, Suite 001
Providence, RI
02903

Website

http://www.estateplanningwithsherimontecalvo.com/

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Michael C. Judge, Attorney At Law
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