Daniel J. Eccher

I enjoy helping clients with estate planning and probate administration of estates. I particularly like helping people plan for long-term care while protecting their assets for their families. Let me help you and your family plan for the years ahead.

Elder Law

Estate Planning

Guardianship & Conservatorship Estate Administration, Health Care Directives, Trusts, Wills

Probate

Probate Administration, Probate Litigation, Will Contests

Real Estate Law

Commercial Real Estate, Condominiums, Easements, Eminent Domain, Homeowners Association, Land Use & Zoning, Mortgages, Neighbor Disputes, Residential Real Estate, Water Law

Business Law

Business Contracts, Business Dissolution, Business Finance, Business Formation, Business Litigation, Franchising, Mergers & Acquisitions, Partnership & Shareholder Disputes

• Credit Cards Accepted
• Contingent Fees

Maine

Since 2014

1st Circuit

Since 2016

Managing Shareholder

Levey, Wagley, Putman & Eccher, PA

2017 - Current

Principal

Eccher Law, LLC

2016 - 2017

Assistant Attorney General

Maine Office of the Attorney General

2015 - 2016

HHS Division

Associate Attorney

Weeks & Hutchins, LLC

2014 - 2015

University of Maine - School of Law

J.D. (2014) | Law

2011 - 2014

Honors: Pro Bono Publico Award

Activities: MAPIL, Health Law Association

Boston University

MPH (1999) | Epidemiology and Biostatistics

1998 - 1999

Vassar College

B.A. (1996) | Biology

1992 - 1996

Honors: Phi Beta Kappa

Activities: College Choir and Madrigal Singers

Katahdin Counsel

Maine Supreme Judicial Court

2015

Pro Bono Publico

University of Maine School of Law

2014

American Bar Association

2014 - Current

Maine State Bar Association

Member

2012 - Current

Q. Maine Probate law. I was told by an attorney that the PR can add people to the will.

May 26, 2022

A: If you are a beneficiary of this estate, you should hire a lawyer to fight such an after-the-fact “amendment” to the will. The concept of amending a will after it has been admitted to probate is so outrageous that I laughed at the above statement. If a lawyer really said this, all I can think is that it was “puffery” – a fancy term for bologna, hogwash, etc. The only way I can imagine an estate being distributed differently from how the will was originally written is if there were a formal proceeding in which the judge ordered that the will be set aside.

Q. Got a lease 10/1/20 for 1 year and month to month after. Landlord passed 01/21. Haven't heard a peep. He lived in NY.

July 13, 2021

A: You are in a very tenuous situation; you should be looking for a new home for both you and your parents that you can afford. It seems as if you have paid for repairs, but you have not guarantee that you will ever be reimbursed for that. Do you know how much the mortgage payments are? If you are having trouble keeping up with what the rent would have been, you would likely have trouble paying for the mortgage. I am not sure why you would say that your "retired parents would be screwed trying to find a new place." Many apartment facilities are specifically geared toward seniors (55 plus), and if they have a low income, they may qualify for subsidized housing. Try getting help from your Area Agency on Aging (Spectrum Generations/Muskee Center): https://www.spectrumgenerations.org/ Your parents may also be able to get guidance from the Waterville Housing Authority: https://www.watervillehousing.org/

Q. How can I protect my home and only be able to leave it to my son in my will and not his wife in case they divorce?

May 18, 2021

A: You should sign a Will that names your son, alone, as the beneficiary of your home. You could also register a "transfer on death deed." The most effective (and expensive) would to put the house in a trust for your son's benefit. You should consult with a lawyer who practices both estate planning and real estate law.