Elder Law

If you’ve ever sat down at your kitchen table, looked at your family, and thought, "I really need to get our affairs in order," you aren't alone. Most of us know we need something in place, but the jargon can be a major roadblock. You hear about Wills, and then someone mentions a Revocable Living Trust, and suddenly it feels like you're trying to learn a second language just to protect your kids. At Don Shaw Law, PLLC, we hear these questions every day from families across Virginia. Is a Will enough? Is a Trust only for the ultra-wealthy? (Spoiler: ...

Most parents spend eighteen years counting down the milestones. The first steps, the first day of school, the first time they get behind the wheel of a car. But for those of us raising a child with special needs, that eighteenth birthday can feel less like a celebration and more like a looming deadline. In the eyes of the law, the second the clock strikes midnight on your child’s eighteenth birthday, they are considered a legal adult. It doesn’t matter if they still need help tying their shoes or if they don't fully understand what a bank account is. Legally, ...

When we sit down at the kitchen table with families, the conversation almost always turns to the future. It’s that "what happens when I’m gone?" question that keeps parents up at night. For families with a child who has supplemental needs, that question carries a lot more weight. We all want to leave our children in the best possible position. We want them to be safe, comfortable, and cared for. But here is the tricky part: in the world of estate planning, sometimes a gesture meant to be generous can actually cause a lot of heartache. If your child relies ...

One of the most common questions we hear from families is some version of this: “Do I really need a trust, or is a will enough?” It’s a fair question. For most people, estate planning is not something they think about every day. You’re busy raising kids, working, caring for parents, paying bills, and trying to make good decisions for the people you love. When you finally sit down to plan, the choice between a will and a revocable living trust in Virginia can feel more complicated than it should. The good news is this does not have to be ...

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