Estate Planning & Administration

Pet owners in Shenandoah Valley love their animal companions and view them as members of the family, so it may be distressing to learn your pet will be considered personal property rather than a family member with inheritance rights should you die. It is important to...

Everyone should have an estate plan because an estate plan can protect the interests of the estate planners and can also protect their family and ensure they are cared for. Estate planners should know about the different estate planning tools that can help them...

As your parents age, caring for their financial wellness is often just as important as looking after their physical and emotional well-being. Establishing a trust can prevent the loss of money via fraud and dishonest individuals from draining your elderly parents'...

Estate plans take time to design. A common misconception about estate planning is that it is a one-time deal. Contrarily, it is an ongoing process that people will revisit and modify throughout their life. While having a strategic plan for the future is an excellent...

After your death, your loved ones may have to navigate a probate process that involves proving your will and administering your estate. In Virginia, the probate process may prove long, complex and costly, but there are certain estate planning steps you may be able to...

Mortality is a reality, but your family legacy can live on. Mom and dad have worked hard to provide for your family, and as they are aging, perhaps you have considered walking them through estate planning to protect their wealth. As you prepare and seek professional...

Fiduciary duty is a term applied to you when someone designates you as the trustee of his or her trust or as the executor of his or her will, and therefore the administrator of his or her estate when (s)he dies. FindLaw explains that, in essence, “fiduciary duty”...

When done correctly, estate planning provides a level of confidence to a family. It ensures the assets of a person go to the designated beneficiaries and that money is not lost in the probate process.  As with any area of law, though, common mistakes exist that have...

People who have concerns about their estates going through probate generally worry that their heirs will have to wait a while to receive their inheritance. You might also worry about the lack of privacy probate will afford your estate since wills become a part of the...

If you have been divorced or widowed and have now found a new love with whom you want to share the rest of your life, you deserve to feel elated and positive about your future. However, the promise of a happy family and home life should not prevent you from tending to...