Estate Planning


Serving Clients in Woodbridge, Prince William county, and throughout Virginia
as well as in maryland, west virginia, and the district of columbia

simple document
Estate Planning

Why do I need a Lawyer? It’s just a simple document.

Legal documents are the cornerstone of our society, serving as the foundation for agreements, contracts, and personal arrangements. However, there’s often a misconception about what makes a legal document truly valuable. The first and most basic aspect of a legal document is its enforceability. This refers to whether the document meets the minimum standards required by law to be considered valid and binding. Achieving this baseline is relatively straightforward. It requires understanding and following the relevant rules of law, and the document must be executed as required by these rules. For example, a will might need to be signed by ...
probate costs
Beneficiaries

Michael Jackson Estate Litigation Resurfaces: The Importance of Including a “No Contest” Clause in Your Estate Plan

The ongoing legal battles surrounding Michael Jackson’s estate have recently resurfaced, as his son, Prince Jackson, has renewed his efforts to challenge the estate’s executors. This latest development serves as a reminder of the importance of including a “no contest” clause in your estate plan to discourage potential litigation and minimize the risk of prolonged family disputes. What is a “No Contest” Clause? A “no contest” clause, also known as an “in terrorem” clause, is a provision in a will or trust that threatens to disinherit any beneficiary who challenges the validity of the document or contests the distribution of ...
trust
Asset Protection

Should a Trust Be a Component of My Estate Planning?

Do I need a trust in case something happens to me?
Medicaid
Elder Law Attorney

How Did COVID Push Medicaid to Record Enrollment?

A record 80.5 million Americans have health coverage through Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program, largely because states have had to keep people enrolled during the coronavirus pandemic, according to new federal data released Monday.
guardianship
Elder Abuse

Michigan Proposes Reform to State Guardianship Laws

Michigan Supreme Court Justice Megan K. Cavanaugh, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and a bipartisan group of state lawmakers announced legislation to reform state guardianship laws, following decades of criticism by families and elder advocates.
bank
Estate Planning

Should You Add Someone to Your Bank Account?

I know of someone who was joint account holder with his dad for many years, then later his dad then appointed him as power of attorney. How does that work? Is the son still a joint account holder?
girlfriend
401(k)

Will the Girlfriend Get the Life Insurance or the Wife?

My boyfriend and I have lived together for 13 years but he is still officially married to another woman. He has a life insurance policy and I’m the beneficiary, and I’m also the beneficiary of his 401(k). Do we need a will and do I have to worry about his wife getting the money?
alzheimer's
Alzheimer’s Disease

What’s the Criticism of the New Alzheimer’s Drug?

The controversy surrounding the Biogen drug, including its potential cost, comes against a landscape of massive, unmet need for dementia treatment and a disease that costs the U.S. as much as $259 billion annually. More than six million Americans have Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia, according to estimates from the Alzheimer’s Association, and by 2050 that number could reach over 12 million people at a cost of $1 trillion annually.
RMDs
Distributions

What Is the Required Minimum Distribution for 2021?

Whether you need to take required minimum distributions to live or find them to be a nuisance, here are some tips to make the most of withdrawing these funds.
reviewed
Affidavit

Reviewing Estate Plans Matters

Many of our parents completed their estate plans decades ago. The documents may still be valid. However, if they are stale or outdated, you may spend significant money trying to use them down the road.
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