Manassas Estate Planning Attorneys
Helping You Plan for the Future with Personalized Estate Planning Services
If you own assets, including property and investments, an estate plan helps you set your loved ones up for success when you die. A well-constructed estate plan ensures the individuals you love the most will inherit your assets. It also makes sure your loved ones will not be faced with litigation after your death. For assistance with an estate plan, you should consult with an experienced lawyer who can provide you with the proper advice, knowledge, and counsel.
Estate Planning Services
Our comprehensive estate planning services include the following:
Wills
A will is essential at every stage of your life. It allows you to distribute your property, establish care for your children, and express your final wishes before death. Without a valid will in place, the court will determine all these steps for you. If you have intentions in place that you would like honored, you should establish a will.
Trusts
We understand that your trust reflects your life, which is why we never provide a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, we provide personalized tax planning and asset protections services to safeguard your assets for your heirs while avoiding probate proceedings.
Power of Attorney
We prepare all types of powers of attorney, including financial powers of attorney and durable powers of attorney for healthcare.
Elder law
We can help protect you or the senior members of your family with their financial situation. This includes estate planning, probate proceedings, creating a durable power of attorney, assisting with healthcare and planning, and financial representation.
Estate administration
Estate administration refers to the process of administering the estate of a decedent, whether through probate or trust administration. We can assist you with the following services: distributing assets to beneficiaries, paying and collecting debts, and inventorying and appraising assets.
Benefits of Hiring an Estate Planning Attorney
In addition to providing you with the support, resources, and knowledge you need to navigate an estate plan, an estate planning attorney can assist you with the following:
- Generate a will
- Designate beneficiaries
- Establish a durable power of attorney and medical durable power of attorney
- Support you with the probate process
- Find ways to reduce or help you avoid estate taxes
- Establish and fund a trust
- Help you make modifications to your will
- Ensure you are following the law and that your estate plan is legally enforceable
- Provides support, advice, knowledge, and advocacy tailored to your unique needs
Updating Estate Plans After a Divorce
When getting a divorce in Virginia, one of the important things you must attend to is the modification of your long-term estate plan.
Most people commonly name their spouses as beneficiaries in wills or trusts, as well as on life insurance policies or retirement accounts. Unless there are specific terms of your divorce settlement that require you to keep your spouse as the named beneficiary, you may want to update these documents.
It is important that you do not remove your spouse as the beneficiary if your divorce decree indicates otherwise. Your divorce decree is a legally binding document and its terms must be adhered to.
If you are legally free to name new beneficiaries such as your children or anyone else so that they inherit your assets when you pass away, then you must legally update your estate plan. There may be up to five documents for you to update, including your:
- Trust
- Will
- Life insurance policy
- Retirement account
- Power of Attorney
You may or may not have all of these, but if you do, then each one should be amended during or after your divorce. If you only update a will or a trust, but not a life insurance policy, then the beneficiary named on the insurance policy will still stand even if it differs from your will or trust.
Contact us onlineto learn more about our estate planning services or call us at (703) 552-5072 today.
