Neptune vs Cushing & Dolan: Estate Planning in Massachusetts, Compared
For Massachusetts couples building real assets, estate planning runs into a state-specific problem: the MA estate tax exemption is $2 million, it is not indexed for inflation, and Boston metro real estate alone can push a couple past the threshold. Two options come up in serious MA estate planning searches: Cushing & Dolan, P.C., a 40-year Boston-based estate and tax planning firm, and Neptune, a flat-fee estate planning concierge that pairs couples with vetted Massachusetts estate planning attorneys for $2,500 all-in. The price gap is structural: Neptune uses AI to handle the intake, asset gathering, and beneficiary mapping that traditionally consume attorney hours, so the licensed Massachusetts estate planning attorney's time is focused on drafting, judgment, and review. This is how they actually compare.
Key takeaways
- Neptune delivers a complete Massachusetts estate plan (revocable trust, pour-over wills, healthcare directives, durable powers of attorney, guardian designations) for $2,500 flat, with both spouses planning together.
- Cushing & Dolan, P.C. is a Boston-based estate and tax planning firm founded in 1984, with eight MA offices and 275+ years of combined attorney experience (many CPAs or LL.M. taxation). The firm does not publish pricing. Standard couple's estate plans at MA estate-and-tax boutiques in this tier typically run $4,000 to $12,000+ based on market estimates, with hourly add-ons for tax-driven structures.
- The flat fee is lower at Neptune because AI handles the non-attorney work that traditionally inflates legal bills, not because attorney involvement is reduced. Every Neptune Massachusetts estate plan is drafted and reviewed by a licensed Massachusetts estate planning attorney.
- The Massachusetts estate tax exemption is $2 million and is not indexed for inflation. The 2023 reform raised the exemption from $1M and eliminated the old "cliff," so estates above $2M now owe tax only on the amount above the threshold, taxed at a graduated rate of 0.8% to 16%.
- For couples comfortably under the MA exemption with a standard asset picture, Neptune covers the document set most families need. For estates approaching or above the MA exemption, families with operating businesses, multi-generational planning needs, or any situation that calls for elder law, Medicaid asset protection planning, or probate administration, Cushing & Dolan is the more natural fit.
Neptune vs Cushing & Dolan: What Sets Them Apart
1. What do they do?
Neptune: A flat-fee estate planning concierge for couples. Each couple is paired with vetted Massachusetts estate planning attorneys from Neptune's network, and the product delivers a complete estate plan: a revocable living trust, pour-over wills, healthcare directives, durable powers of attorney, and guardian designations for minor children. The plan is drafted around Massachusetts-specific issues including the $2M state estate tax exemption and the absence of MA portability between spouses. Neptune is built to be the long-term partner across the legal and financial admin that comes with partnership: prenup before the wedding, estate plan after the wedding, joint taxes, and updates as life changes.
Cushing & Dolan, P.C.: A Massachusetts estate and tax planning law firm headquartered in Boston, founded in 1984 by Leo J. Cushing. AV rated, with Super Lawyers recognition and 275+ years of combined attorney experience. Many attorneys are also CPAs or hold an LL.M. in taxation. Eight Massachusetts offices including Boston, Waltham (main), Westborough, Woburn, Hyannis, and Longmeadow. Practices include estate planning, MA estate and tax planning, revocable and irrevocable trusts, elder law, Medicaid asset protection planning, estate administration and probate litigation, business law, real estate, tax disputes, and family law alongside estate planning.
2. Are lawyers involved?
Neptune: Yes. Every Neptune Massachusetts estate plan is drafted and reviewed by a licensed Massachusetts estate planning attorney from Neptune's vetted network. Couples get direct attorney access for questions. Neptune is not a law firm; it acts as a concierge layer that pairs couples with attorneys and runs the workflow.
Cushing & Dolan: Yes. Engagements are run directly by experienced Massachusetts estate planning and tax attorneys. The firm's deepest expertise is MA estate tax planning and Medicaid asset protection planning, and engagements that touch those areas are staffed accordingly.
3. How is the process structured?
Neptune: AI-led intake, then direct work with a Massachusetts attorney. Both partners use the AI to map assets, beneficiaries, guardians, real estate (primary plus any second home), and healthcare wishes upfront. By the time the couple connects with their attorney, the discovery work is done. The couple then works directly with the attorney to draft, review, and finalize, with platform messaging between calls. Most couples complete the plan in two to four weeks. The timeline is compressed because the intake is, not because attorney involvement is.
Cushing & Dolan: Traditional firm process. Initial consultation, strategy meeting, drafting, review meeting, and signing. Most engagements run six to twelve weeks. Tax-driven work involving irrevocable trusts, Medicaid asset protection planning, or business succession typically runs longer and is staffed with the firm's tax-credentialed attorneys.
4. What does it cost?
Neptune: $2,500 flat, all-in. That covers both partners, the full core document set (revocable trust, pour-over wills, healthcare directives, durable powers of attorney, guardian designations), attorney drafting and review, and back and forth during the engagement. No hourly meter. The lower price is structural: AI handles the intake, asset gathering, and beneficiary mapping that traditionally consume attorney hours, so the Massachusetts estate planning attorney's time is concentrated on drafting, legal judgment, and review.
Cushing & Dolan: The firm does not publish pricing. Standard couple's estate plans at MA estate-and-tax boutiques in this tier typically run $4,000 to $12,000+ based on market estimates, depending on attorney staffing and complexity. Senior Boston-area estate planning attorney hourly rates generally run $400 to $600+ per hour based on broader market data, not Cushing & Dolan published figures. Tax-driven work involving irrevocable trusts, Medicaid asset protection planning, or business succession is priced separately and runs higher.
5. Who is it built for?
Neptune: Dual-career couples at top companies who have real assets to plan around together. Engineers, physicians, consultants, lawyers, finance professionals, founders. Often with complex finances, vesting equity, or an inheritance in the picture. Most are in their late 20s through 40s, somewhere on the arc from pre-marriage to first kids. The right fit for a couple who wants a MA-compliant plan that addresses the $2M exemption and probate process at a fixed flat fee.
Cushing & Dolan: Massachusetts families with estates approaching or above the $2M exemption, operating businesses with succession needs, multi-property real estate exposure, multi-generational planning, or situations calling for elder law, Medicaid asset protection planning, probate administration, or contested probate litigation. Also the right call for advanced MA tax structures like credit shelter trusts, QTIP trusts, or irrevocable trust planning for taxable estates.
Feature Comparison
Pricing model
- Neptune: $2,500 flat, includes both partners and the full core document set
- Cushing & Dolan: no published pricing; market estimate for a standard couple's plan is $4,000 to $12,000+, with hourly billing on top for tax-driven structures
Documents included
- Neptune: revocable trust, pour-over wills, healthcare directives, durable powers of attorney, guardian designations
- Cushing & Dolan: same core set, plus advanced structures including irrevocable trusts, Medicaid asset protection trusts, credit shelter trusts for taxable estates, and QTIP trusts where the situation calls for them
Couple-first design
- Neptune: built for two partners planning together inside one workflow
- Cushing & Dolan: traditional engagement model structured around the client family
Time to complete
- Neptune: 2 to 4 weeks (intake compressed by AI, attorney time concentrated on drafting and review)
- Cushing & Dolan: 6 to 12 weeks for standard work, longer for tax-driven or Medicaid planning
MA estate tax planning depth
- Neptune: handles the standard credit shelter approach for couples near the MA exemption; routes more complex tax planning out
- Cushing & Dolan: this is the firm's deepest practice, including irrevocable trust strategies and Medicaid asset protection planning
Best fit for elder law, Medicaid asset protection, or probate administration
- Neptune: does not handle elder law, Medicaid asset protection planning, or probate administration
- Cushing & Dolan: yes, core to the firm's practice
Weighing the Pros and Cons
Neptune
Pros:
- Flat $2,500 covers both partners and the full Massachusetts-compliant document set
- Lower price than a traditional firm because AI handles the intake and document gathering that traditionally consume attorney hours, not because attorney involvement is reduced
- Tech-enabled for couples who want fast, efficient document gathering and direct messaging with their estate planning attorney
- Vetted Massachusetts estate planning attorneys handle drafting and review
- Two to four week turnaround
- Plan structured around the $2M MA exemption, including standard credit shelter provisions for couples near the threshold
- Designed as a long-term partner across the legal and financial admin of partnership, including prenup, estate plan, joint taxes, and ongoing updates
Cons:
- Built for standard Massachusetts estate plans; estates significantly above the $2M exemption or with multi-entity business succession are routed to traditional firms
- Does not handle elder law, Medicaid asset protection planning, probate administration, or contested probate litigation
Cushing & Dolan, P.C.
Pros:
- 40+ year MA track record with deep state-specific estate and tax planning expertise
- AV rated, Super Lawyers recognition, 275+ years of combined attorney experience, many with CPA or LL.M. taxation credentials
- Eight Massachusetts office locations including Boston, Waltham, Westborough, Woburn, Hyannis, and Longmeadow
- Deep bench for irrevocable trusts, Medicaid asset protection planning, credit shelter and QTIP structures, elder law, and probate administration
Cons:
- No published pricing; a standard couple's plan typically lands well above Neptune's flat fee, with hourly billing for tax-driven structures
- Six to twelve week timeline for standard work, longer for tax-driven or Medicaid planning
- Traditional engagement model rather than a single joint workflow
Bottom line: Which fits your situation?
For a dual-career Boston metro couple with two professional incomes, a primary residence, retirement and brokerage accounts, vesting equity, or an inheritance in the picture, and a combined estate comfortably under the MA $2M exemption (or close enough that a credit shelter trust resolves it), Neptune is built for the situation. The plan covers the document set that keeps a family out of MA probate and uses both spouses' exemptions where the situation calls for it. The flat fee is structurally lower than a traditional firm because AI does the non-attorney work, not because attorney involvement is cut.
For a couple over the $2M exemption, a family with an operating business, a real estate investor with multi-property exposure, or any situation that calls for elder law, Medicaid asset protection planning, probate administration, or contested probate litigation, Cushing & Dolan is the more natural choice. The firm's MA tax planning bench is what the situation requires.
Plenty of MA couples use Neptune as their long-term partner across the legal and financial admin of partnership, from prenup through estate plan through ongoing updates, and engage a traditional firm later only when the situation calls for work outside Neptune's scope.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Neptune's estate plan valid in Massachusetts?
Yes. Every Neptune MA estate plan is drafted and reviewed by a licensed Massachusetts estate planning attorney from the vetted network. The documents are MA compliant and structured around the state's probate process and $2M exemption.
How does the Massachusetts estate tax actually work in 2026?
Massachusetts taxes estates above $2 million. The 2023 reform raised the exemption from $1M to $2M (retroactive to January 1, 2023) and eliminated the old cliff that taxed the entire estate once it crossed the threshold. Under current law, tax applies only to the portion above $2M, at a graduated rate of 0.8% to 16%. The exemption is not indexed for inflation.
How does Neptune handle the MA $2M exemption for couples near or above it?
Neptune's standard plan can include credit shelter (or A/B trust) provisions that use both spouses' exemptions. This matters in Massachusetts because the state does not allow portability between spouses, so a credit shelter structure is often the cleanest way to use the full $4M of combined exemption. For couples significantly above the threshold or with more complex tax planning needs, Neptune is upfront about scope and can refer to a traditional MA firm like Cushing & Dolan.
Why is the MA estate tax exemption so much lower than the federal one?
The federal exemption was permanently increased to $15 million per individual ($30 million per married couple using portability) under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, effective January 1, 2026, indexed for inflation. The MA exemption is set independently by the state legislature and was raised from $1M to $2M in 2023. A Massachusetts couple can be well below the federal exemption and still owe substantial state estate tax.
Why is Neptune's $2,500 fee lower than Cushing & Dolan's $4,000 to $12,000+ for a comparable couple's estate plan?
The price difference reflects how each model uses attorney time. At a traditional Boston estate and tax boutique, the attorney spends meaningful hours on intake, asset gathering, beneficiary mapping, and document organization, all of which are billable. At Neptune, AI handles that work upfront, so the attorney concentrates on the parts that require legal judgment: drafting, customization, review, and finalization. The flat fee is lower because the attorney is more efficient, not because attorney involvement is reduced. Every Neptune Massachusetts estate plan is still drafted and reviewed by a licensed Massachusetts estate planning attorney from the vetted network.
Can I use Neptune if we have a Cape house or a second property?
Yes. A primary residence plus a Cape house, Berkshires property, or other MA second home can be addressed inside the standard plan and titled into the revocable trust to keep both properties out of probate. The second property is one of the more common reasons MA couples discover they are closer to the $2M threshold than they expected.
Does Cushing & Dolan handle prenups?
Cushing & Dolan addresses family law alongside their estate planning practice for clients who want both together. Neptune offers prenups as a separate $5,000 flat-fee product (both partners, both independent attorneys) and can run the prenup and estate plan in sequence.