Wills And Trusts

Few things feel as personal — and as easy to postpone — as deciding what happens to your assets after you are gone. But waiting can cost your family more than time and stress; it can also mean paying taxes that careful planning could have reduced or avoided. Estate...

Estate planning is important after numerous major life milestones, such as becoming a parent. Children rely entirely on their parents for care and support. If parents die, children may be at risk of foster placement unless their parents have already named a guardian...

In some cases, when someone establishes a trust, it is for a specific goal. They have an outcome they have identified, and they want to create the trust to ensure that it happens. For example, a grandparent may want to set up a trust to cover the college tuition costs...

The idea that a will might eventually expire may leave people concerned about losing control over their legacies if they do not consistently reinvest in creating new estate planning documents. People may worry about their wills becoming invalid later in life. ...

Many parents believe that trusts are only for the wealthy or families with mansions. In reality, a trust is an essential tool for every parent in Virginia who wants to protect their children. Whether you have a modest savings account or a large estate, establishing a...

An A-B trust, also called a bypass trust, is a two-trust structure commonly created by a married couple to manage wealth transfer at death. This legal tool can help to minimize the impact of estate taxes, support control over asset distribution, protect assets from...

Estate planning involves preparing for the management and transfer of your assets during life and after death, with two of the most common tools used in this process being wills and trusts. Although they often serve related purposes, wills and trusts function in...

Cultural trends have shifted away from the written word in recent years. Widespread access to audio and video recording equipment has made it easier than ever for people to share videos or recordings of spoken communication with one another. People creating estate...

Taking on the role of a trustee for a family trust can feel like a big responsibility, especially if you are new to legal responsibilities. You may be anxious about making mistakes or letting the beneficiaries down. Knowing your key responsibilities can help you...

If you plan to pass your estate to your heirs, how sure are you that it will truly benefit them and the generations that follow? Life can be unpredictable, and circumstances beyond your control, like divorce, mounting debts or financial mistakes, can diminish what...