A complete estate plan may require more than just a will, a trust and powers of attorney. When a person with substantial assets dies, family members sometimes dispute the wording in the will and precipitate lengthy legal battles. Financing such disputes in Virginia...
Estate planning tools can help minimize a family's tax obligation in the future. However, Virginia residents and others may also want to consider how family dynamics could influence the effectiveness of an estate plan. For instance, siblings who don't like each other...
When a Virginia resident passes away, his or her assets will be distributed to other parties. A Will can ensure that those assets are distributed in accordance to the deceased's wishes. However, simply having a Will doesn't mean that an estate plan is...
There are multiple ways to attempt to avoid probate including the use of beneficiary designations on life insurance policies, retirement accounts, and other similar accounts. Other ways to avoid probate are through joint ownership, however, joint ownership may not be...
I have had many people ask me - what happens if I don't have a Will? Well, the simple answer is that your assets will pass per the intestate law in Virginia, which is found in Virginia Code 64.2-200 and 64.2-201.What that code section states is the following order of...
The following question was asked on Avvo.com by a person in Roanoke, Virginia:"Is my wife's sister's husband entitled to assets from her brother's estate? My wife's brother passed away without a will, he was divorced for 35 years and had no children. His only...
Most parents understand how important it is to name Guardians for their minor children through a Will for the unfortunate situation of both parents passing away. However, many parents put off doing their Wills because they believe that their extended families will...
What is Portability? Portability first came into play at the end of 2010 with the passage of the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010. Then at the beginning of 2013, with the passage of the American Taxpayer Relief Act...
The Law Office of Deborah N Arthur has undergone changes in the past few years that we are excited to tell you about in our first blog posting.Deborah's daughter, Rebecca, graduated from law school and passed the Virginia State Bar Exam in 2012 - joining the office as...
