An estate plan is a critical element of financial planning. It ensures the fulfillment of your wishes for distributing your assets after your demise. As part of an estate plan in Virginia, appointing a guardian is vital if you have minor children or dependents who...
Estate Planning & Administration
Essential elements of an estate plan in Virginia
Many people who are not well acquainted with what estate planning entails think that estate planning equals a signed, valid will or a trust. Actually, there is much more to estate planning than just having a will or a trust. In fact, there are several different...
Costs and preferences when pre-planning your funeral
When you and your family sit down to discuss your estate plans, it is important to understand your preferences at each step of the process. This may include knowing who you wish to pass your property on to or how you wish to approach financial and medical powers of...
A basic estate plan should have these 3 components
When a Pennsylvania resident dies without an estate plan, it creates certain challenges. It typically delays the distribution of an individual’s assets, and it may, too, raise the chances of inheritance conflicts arising. It may, too, mean that the deceased...
Revisiting your will periodically is essential
Creating a will many years ago was really sensible. However, after that, you might have put it in your safe or filing cabinet and just forgotten about it entirely. That may have been several decades ago and if you did not update your will since then, it may no longer...
Who makes the best executor?
An executor of an estate holds a crucial position. In fact, it is the most important position in the entire estate plan. As such, it is important for people to take a lot of time before choosing their executor. It is also important to have an idea of what makes a good...
Is a family trust right for your estate plan?
While we know it is important to think about the future, it can be difficult to think about certain events. Death is one of those events. Although it is a fate each of us will face, no one wants to truly think about their demise and leaving their loved ones behind....
Crafting a comprehensive estate plan
When Virginia residents begin to tackle the important task of estate planning, they come to it from different perspectives. Many have already completed quite a bit of research into the various options that are available to consider in the estate planning process. Some...
Reasons to avoid probate
Readers of this blog have heard of the probate process because it is part of the estate administration process. And, this post will give an overview and why it should be avoided whenever possible in the 81 corridor. First, the term, “probate” refers to the judicial...
Writing or adding to a will and how it impacts validity
In Virginia, estate planning is a fundamental aspect of being fully prepared for the future. Having a will details how a person’s property will be distributed and serves other important needs. However, a will might need to be updated from the time it is written and...