With more than 30 years of experience in will contests and trust litigation, Maureen helps clients navigate this process which can be emotionally charged and involve complex family dynamics going back decades. She also works with estate planners who do not handle litigation, by assisting their clients when their matters do end up in litigation.

Maureen handles:

• Will contests
• Breach of fiduciary duty matters
• Removal or defense of a fiduciary such as a personal representative or trustee
• Representation of individuals acting as attorney-in-fact or under a power of attorney and/or health care proxy

Maureen’s practice brings her to:

• The Massachusetts Probate Court
• Superior Court
• Massachusetts Court of Appeals

At the request of the Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Probate and Family Court, Maureen chaired a committee that resulted in the establishment of Fiduciary Litigation Session of that court. Recognizing that traditional family law judges – often focused on equitable division of assets – had limited background in the distinct complexities of fiduciary litigation, Maureen championed a dedicated area of the court. As a leading voice on the Massachusetts Bar Association Probate Council, she spearheaded the initiative to create a specific session for complex probate litigation cases. This culminated in Standing Order 3-17: Fiduciary Litigation Session Pilot Project, which allows the transfer of contested fiduciary cases to the FLS, ensuring these matters are handled by judges with specialized expertise. This initiative provided families with a more appropriate and effective forum for navigating their disputes, fundamentally transforming how complex estate and trust disputes are resolved in Massachusetts.

Beyond her work in establishing the FLS, Maureen has shared her extensive knowledge and experience as an Adjunct Lecturer, Litigation Specialist for a Pretrial Litigation course at Boston College Law School. She has been a consistent educator with the Massachusetts Bar Association since 2005, speaking at nearly all Massachusetts Probate Law Conferences for the past 13 years. Her commitment to legal education extends to her service on the Boston College Law School Alumni Association, where she proudly served as President in 2006.

Maureen’s exceptional legal capabilities and groundbreaking contributions have earned her widespread recognition within the legal community. She has been named a Massachusetts Super Lawyer in Estate & Trust Litigation for seven consecutive years (2018-2024). She received the prestigious Award of Excellence from the Greater Boston Fiduciary Law American Inn of Court (2017) and was honored with a Public Service Award from the Massachusetts Bar Association (2016). She is also a Life Fellow of the Massachusetts Bar Foundation.

Maureen is an active member of the Massachusetts Bar Association Probate Council, which she chaired and co-chaired for four years. She also chairs the Human Rights Committee for Goodwill, where she has been a volunteer for more than 25 years. With a career in the law that began at age 16, Maureen’s journey included attending school for court reporting while raising a family. This foundational experience led her to law school to become the respected trial attorney she is today. When not at work, Maureen enjoys spending time with her children, granddaughter, and her friends including travel in the U.S. and Europe. In 2021, Maureen fulfilled a lifetime dream to visit Egypt and Jordan.