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How Should I Plan My Out-of-State Real Estate Upon Death?
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What is the Difference Between Trustee, Executor, and Power of Attorney?
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Estate Planning
Estate Planning Articles
How Should I Plan My Out-of-State Real Estate Upon Death?
April 14, 2025 | Stephanie C. Smith | Estate Planning
In Virginia, most people’s estates are probated in the city or county in which they lived at the time of their death. For Vi…
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What is the Difference Between Trustee, Executor, and Power of Attorney?
January 10, 2024 | Nathan R. Olansen | Estate Planning
Estate planning involves different types of documents, legal terms, and even roles to assign. As the testator (the person cr…
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Reasons Why You Should Hire a Professional Executor
December 21, 2023 | Nathan R. Olansen | Estate Planning
For clients with considerable wealth, the process of appointing an executor for their estate or trustee for their trust is a…
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Understanding The Benefits of a Bloodline Trust
November 10, 2023 | Alison R. Zizzo | Estate Planning
Did you know that approximately 40 percent of marriages in the U.S. include at least one partner who has been married before…
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Are Powers of Attorney Responsible for Medical Bills?
September 22, 2023 | Nathan R. Olansen | Estate Planning
Understanding Your Financial Responsibilities as a Power of Attorney in Virginia According to a Genworth’s 2021 Cost of Care…
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Top Reasons for Disputing a Trust in Virginia
September 1, 2023 | Nathan R. Olansen | Estate Planning, Trust Administration
A trust is a valuable tool for saving your loved ones from the probate process and reducing disputes over inheritances. Unfo…
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Understanding Intestate Succession and What It is
July 28, 2023 | Alison R. Zizzo | Corporate, Estate Planning
According to a survey by WealthCounsel, more than one-third of Americans have experienced or witnessed family conflict due t…
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What is the Difference Between Intestate and Testate?
July 7, 2023 | Stephanie C. Smith | Estate Planning
Importance of a Last Will and Testament A last will and testament allows you to direct what happens to your assets after you…
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Can a Beneficiary Have Money Withheld by a Trustee?
July 7, 2023 | Todd J. Preti | Estate Planning
Are you a beneficiary of a trust? If so, you may spend a significant amount of time waiting as someone else takes care of th…
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Transferring a Property With a Mortgage Into a Trust
May 8, 2023 | Nathan R. Olansen | Estate Planning
Most of the population who own homes are not yet “free and clear.” If you own one or multiple homes, when doing your estate…
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Domestic Partners Estate Planning in Virginia
May 3, 2023 | Nathan R. Olansen | Estate Planning
If you and your significant other are unmarried but live together, it is essential to know that you are not receiving the fu…
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Power of Attorney Fiduciary Duties
April 4, 2023 | Alison R. Zizzo | Estate Planning
A power of attorney (POA) is a document used in estate planning that gives someone agent’s authority to make decisions for a…
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Crypto Assets Estate Planning in Virginia
March 15, 2023 | Nathan R. Olansen | Estate Planning
Cryptocurrency has existed in various forms since the 1980s, but it only became widely popular about a decade ago. Now, ther…
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How Estate Planning Works
November 3, 2021 | John T. Midgett | Estate Planning
Life Insurance, Annuities & Trusts For most families, life insurance is an important tool in an estate plan. Its uses in…
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What You Should Know About Limited Liability Companies
November 3, 2021 | John T. Midgett | Estate Planning
Who can benefit most from an LLC? Generally speaking, everyone who is engaged in business or in a professional practice as a…
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The Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust
November 3, 2021 | John T. Midgett | Estate Planning
Most clients are shocked to learn that the death proceeds of their life insurance are subject to federal estate taxation. Th…
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Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act
February 12, 2020 | John T. Midgett | Asset Protection, Estate Planning
Key provisions affecting individuals: Repeal of the maximum age for traditional IRA contributions. Before 2020, traditional…
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Avoid Strife When Estate Planning for Blended Families
September 5, 2018 | Payton D. Cromwell | Estate Planning
For most married couples with no children from prior relationships, estate planning is a relatively uncomplicated process. T…
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Aretha Franklin’s Death Raises Issue of Dying Without a Will
August 27, 2018 | Stephanie C. Smith | Estate Planning
The world noted Aretha Franklin’s recent passing with sadness as well as fond memories of her amazing talent and career. The…
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Planning for Education Expenses
August 13, 2018 | Todd J. Preti | Estate Planning
One of the largest expenses for a family is higher education expenses for their children. Education expenses continue to gro…
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Sometimes The Devil Is In The Details
August 7, 2018 | John T. Midgett | Estate Planning
Over the past 40 years I have prepared thousands of wills. Each time the wills are organized in articles and paragraphs, all…
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How to Make Money with Your Life Insurance Policy
July 16, 2018 | Todd J. Preti | Estate Planning
If you, a family member or a friend own a life insurance policy that is no longer wanted or needed then read this article as…
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Tax Benefits from Charitable Contributions Without Itemizing
July 2, 2018 | John T. Midgett | Estate Planning
The number of people who itemize could fall by more than half in 2018 because of changes made by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (…
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Are Irrevocable Trusts Truly Irrevocable?
May 11, 2018 | John T. Midgett | Estate Planning
From 1987 through 2003, the federal estate tax exemption amount was between $600,000 and $1,000,000. This prompted many peop…
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Estate Planning With Addiction or Mental Health Issues
April 27, 2018 | Stephanie C. Smith | Estate Planning
Deciding what to do with your assets after you pass away can involve a series of difficult decisions. These decisions are ma…
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Why Everyone Needs an Estate Plan
March 26, 2018 | Alison R. Zizzo | Estate Planning
A number of surveys over the last few years report that between 55% and 70% of adults in the United States don’t have an est…
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How Often Should I Update My Will in Virginia?
March 19, 2018 | Stephanie C. Smith | Estate Planning
For individuals with substantial assets, the intricacies of estate planning become increasingly complex. The wealth you’ve b…
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DIY Estate Planning is No Bargain
March 6, 2018 | Nathan R. Olansen | Estate Planning
Over the last decade, the do-it-yourself (DIY) philosophy has grown exponentially and now has spread into estate planning. H…
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Beneficiary Designation for Federal Group Life Insurance
March 6, 2018 | Todd J. Preti | Estate Planning
It is always important to make sure the beneficiary designation for Life Insurance, Annuities and Retirement Accounts are cu…
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Planning Your Estate: It’s Not Just About Taxes
February 6, 2018 | John T. Midgett | Estate Planning
So many people I have talked with have expressed some concern for my career as an estate planner. They felt that the increa…
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How To Find A Competent Estate Planning Attorney
November 3, 2017 | John T. Midgett | Estate Planning
The following questions were designed to help individuals find competent tax and estate planning counsel in states such as V…
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How Much Does A Simple Will Cost?
November 3, 2017 | John T. Midgett | Estate Planning
We are frequently asked “How much do you charge for a Simple Will?” Unfortunately, there is no simple answer. Asking a lawye…
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Wills, Trusts & Estate Planning: Frequently Asked Questions
November 3, 2017 | John T. Midgett | Estate Planning
Where should I keep my will? Where you keep your will is not of great importance as long as it is in a safe place. Many peop…
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Family Limited Partnerships & How They Work
November 3, 2017 | John T. Midgett | Estate Planning
In 1953, Sam and Helen Walton put what little assets they had into a family partnership that included their four children. T…
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A Comprehensive Guide to Virginia Estate Planning
November 3, 2017 | Stephanie C. Smith | Estate Planning
Estate plans are like personalities: everyone needs one, but no two are exactly alike. You may or may not need trusts or an…
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When To Use a Will & The Benefits of Doing So
November 3, 2017 | Alison R. Zizzo | Estate Planning
Key Takeaways For young individuals or couples without children, or those with straightforward situations, a will is often…
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