If you live in Virginia and you are preparing a will, you may be concerned about someone contesting it, resulting in your wishes not being carried out. There are a few things you can do to help prevent this. Communication and planning ahead The first step is to be as...
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Estate Planning & Wills
Things you can do to help your family after your death
Providing for your family is a priority, even when thinking about what life might look like after you pass. Having a thorough estate plan in place may do more for your family than you realize, though. While a will is an excellent start to planning, it does not...
What not to do in estate planning
Estate planning and wills in Virginia give you the means of transferring your estate without conflict. The proper administration of assets is a real challenge that an estate owner is left with after their death. As simple as it might initially seem, your belongings...
When should you review your will for changes?
After creating your will, you should review it periodically to make sure it still aligns with your wishes. You can update your will as needed to match changing family and personal circumstances. In general, consider reviewing or updating your will after these common...
Mistakes fiduciaries make when acting as executor or trustee
It's important for Virginia residents to update their estate plans regularly in order to make it as easy as possible for their loved ones and the people handling their estate. Fiduciaries act in the best interest of the beneficiaries in the form of either an executor...
Choosing the best executor
When it comes to planning your estate and writing your will in Virginia, one of the key choices to make is who should be your executor. The executor is in charge of carrying out all of the directions and rules in the will, so it is an important role. What makes a good...
What comprises a thorough estate plan?
Estate planning often requires deliberate and careful thought. Otherwise, the estate planner might miss something and create problems for their heirs. Without the necessary legal documents, representatives may have difficulty dealing with probate or other estate...
How a divorce can affect your estate plan
Virginia residents who are going through a divorce should not overlook how their property settlements might affect their estate plans. Careful drafting of property settlement agreements involving life insurance is important to avoid potential problems. Life insurance...
Do beneficiary designations override a will?
There are numerous parts of Virginia estate plans, and one of them is account designations. These exist separately from the will because these accounts do not need to be dealt with in that document. The only way that these are dealt with in the will process is if...
Planning your estate in the digital age
Planning your estate normally focuses on assets like your home, bank accounts, insurance policies and belongings. However, there is another type of property that you need to address when planning your estate: your digital assets. In 2017, Virginia adopted the Uniform...