Comparison of Elder Law Firms Based on the Size of the Firm

Q. My husband and I are looking for an estate planning attorney for us who is also a Medicaid planning lawyer that can help my mom and dad. We realized that some elder care planning attorneys in Fairfax, where we live, are … [Read more...]

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More Problems with Beneficiary Designations — Usually Beneficiary Designations Take Precedence Over Your Estate Planning Documents, But Sometimes They Don’t

Note: This article is Part 3 in a series on the Problems with Beneficiary Designations. Links for the prior two articles are below and at the bottom of this article. Please click here to read Part 1 and please click here to … [Read more...]

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Caring for the Pet of a Loved One When They Can No Longer Do So Themselves

When Melissa's father died and her mother moved into a nursing home, Melissa adopted her parent’s poodle, Margot. During the three-hour drive to her house from where her mother was staying, Margot was shaking and afraid. Melissa … [Read more...]

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Are Transfer on Death Deeds a Good Alternative to Estate Planning?

Q. I was recently discussing with my husband what would happen to our house in Annandale, Virginia when we are no longer around, especially since we don’t have our estate planning in place yet. One my friends’ parents recently … [Read more...]

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Does My Spouse Have a Right to a Share of My Home?

Q1. I am giving serious thought to my estate planning and to who I want to leave most of my assets to when I am no longer around. I am seriously considering leaving the bulk to my two children and not my spouse. I live in … [Read more...]

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Three Things Most People Get Wrong About Estate Planning 

Q. I just saw that it’s Estate Planning Awareness Month! We had our estate planning documents done through your firm a couple years ago. I’m trying to convince my sister and parents to do the same, but they have some objections, … [Read more...]

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Will My Estate Plan Be Followed as Intended?  

Q. I’m working on my estate planning documents and am putting lots of thought into them, especially what I want done with my ancestral home and my ancestral art collection. I have some very old and rare original artwork passed … [Read more...]

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Why Are People So Afraid of Estate Planning?

Q. I read your recent article on Aretha Franklin’s multiple handwritten wills and the family strife that ensued for five years after she died. The situation provided a great example for why all of us should have properly written … [Read more...]

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Aretha Franklin’s Sons Clash in Court Over Handwritten Wills

Aretha Franklin, the “Queen of Soul,” died five years ago, in 2018, at age 76 from pancreatic cancer. Through her six-decade career in the music business, she left behind a legacy that included over 75 million record sales, 17 Top … [Read more...]

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How Does Estate Planning Work for Multigenerational Living Arrangements?

Q. To save money, my parents, my husband and I, and our daughter and her family all live under one roof in a much bigger home than any of us could afford alone in Northern Virginia. With this living arrangement, I can care for my … [Read more...]

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