Our Virginia attorneys help families prepare for a death or incapacity by setting up solid, legally-binding will and trust plans. We work with families of all backgrounds and are particularly adept at assisting complicated matters dealing with homeowners or high-net worth estates.
Learn more about our estate planning services when you call Johnson, Gasink & Baxter, LLP at 888.487.9899. We serve clients from our offices in Williamsburg, Virginia Beach, Richmond, Fredericksburg, Manassas​, and Stafford.
While each person’s needs and situations are different, every adult needs to have a few important documents.
These include:
It is especially important that people with minor children have a will in place to identify who becomes the guardian of their children after they pass.
A revocable living trust is an estate plan in which you leave instructions for a trustee, who is often a family member, to care for you in life and care for your beneficiaries after death.
Many people prefer revocable trusts because they work without court intervention, unlike wills which must be probated after death. Therefore, a revocable trust can cost far less in administrative fees while keeping your affairs private.
You can be your own Trustee while you are alive and have legal capacity. Your friends or family members may be named as the successor trustee of your trust, which would allow them to make financial decisions during your incapacity, as well as distribute your assets after your death.
In addition, we can help you draft a NFA trust, also known as a gun trust, to register your firearms with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. These trusts help eliminate some of the red tape of owning NFA firearms.
When the maker of a trust dies, the successor trustee must make sure that the instructions of the trust are followed, and that all debts and final taxes are paid.
After a death, lawyers from JGB meet with the surviving spouse and/or successor trustee to review the trust, see what it requires at death, and administer its terms. Our attorneys can provide the successor trustee with as much help as he or she needs to properly administer and distribute the trust assets.
It is very important that you get your trust in place before it is too late. Contact our Virginia firm today to schedule your initial consultation.