Being a single parent has added responsibilities, including making sure that your minor children are taken care of in the event you no longer are there. What would happen to your children if you died, or became incapacitated and could…
You may have gotten married or divorced, blended a family, gotten your dream job, bought a house or started a new business, even had twins. You own assets now, and you have people that depend on you and for…
Your divorce is final, assets have been divided, custody, child support, and spousal support have been determined, and now it’s time to move forward with your life. But though your divorce is final, you’re not quite done yet. The…
In the Commonwealth of Virginia, only “interested parties” can contest a last will and testament. An interested party is any individual that has standing to challenge the estate and is usually someone who is entitled to receive property under the…
A power of attorney, or POA, is a legal document that allows you, known as the principal, to appoint a trusted individual, known as your agent or attorney-in-fact, to act on your behalf under specific circumstances. Types of POAs Limited…
Your dog, cat, bird, horse, rabbit, guinea pig… are all important members of your family. As part of the estate planning process, pet owners need to consider who will care for their pet(s) when they no longer are able to…
As the word irrevocable implies, an irrevocable trust is a trust that cannot be revoked, modified, amended, or terminated by its creator, also known as the grantor, with very limited and specific exceptions. Once an asset has been transferred into…
The Internet has made it very easy to find answers and instructions on just about anything, including how to create a do-it-yourself (DIY) estate plan. There are websites and software packages, along with DIY estate planning books and kits that…
A special needs trust, also referred to as a supplemental needs trust, provides for a person with a mental or physical disability and allows the beneficiary to receive gifts, lawsuit settlements, or other funds and yet not lose his or…
Let’s start with a short story… a very sad and unnecessary scenario: A friend’s domestic partner died in an automobile accident. They had been together for nine years and at the time of his death, she was five months pregnant.…