Latest Articles

There is no shortage of advice flying around about estate planning, much of it from people who aren't even lawyers. Get insight on the popular pitfalls and how emerging economic shifts like cryptocurrency can affect your plan.

Featured, Estate Planning
Help Your Parents Avoid These New Financial Scams - Part 1

Fraudsters and scam artists are nothing new, but changing tools and technology are making it easier than ...

Estate Planning
10 Life Events That Signal It's Time to Review Your Estate Plan - Part 2

You might think that estate planning is something you can complete one time and then check off your to-do...

Estate Planning
10 Life Events That Signal It’s Time to Review Your Estate Plan - Part 1

Maybe you thought that creating a Will or Trust is something you can do once and then your family and ass...

Life Planning, Estate Planning
Awakened Planning: How to Talk About Estate Planning at Your Family Reunion

July is National Family Reunion Month and the perfect time to reconnect with family from near and far, sh...

Life Planning, Estate Planning
Vacation Ready: Essential Legal Preparations for a Worry-Free Getaway

Vacations are a time to relax, unwind, and create beautiful memories with your loved ones. But before you...

Blended Family Issues, Estate Planning
The Importance of Customized Estate Planning for LGBTQ+ Relationships - Part 2

Last week we started the discussion of why it’s so important for LGBTQ+ families to invest in custom esta...

Blended Family Issues, Estate Planning
The Importance of Customized Estate Planning for LGBTQ+ Relationships - Part 1

June is a time of celebration and reflection for the LGBTQ+ community as Pride Month shines a spotlight o...

Family Financial Planning, Life Planning, Estate Planning
Want to Grow Wealth? Warren Buffet's Unexpected Investment Advice

If you are going to take investment and estate planning advice from anyone, Warren Buffett is likely one ...

wills and trusts, Estate Planning
Why "Just a Will" Is Never Enough

When you think of estate planning, a Will is usually the first thing that comes to mind. In fact, most pe...

Estate Planning
Create a Stronger Blended Family Through Estate Planning

Blended families were once considered “non-traditional” families, but today, blended families are becomin...

Celebrity Estate Planning, Estate Planning
Stephen “tWitch” Boss Dies Without a Will

Stephen Laurel Boss, also known as “tWitch,” was an American DJ, hip-hop dancer, choreographer, televisio...

Estate Planning
Top 5 Questions To Consider Before Hiring A Lawyer For Your Estate Planning Needs

I know discussing topics like death, incapacity, and other potentially frightening life events, with some...

Estate Planning
Estate Planning Before You Travel: Why It's Critically Important

Vacations can be the perfect opportunity to relax, disconnect from work and responsibilities, and enjoy y...

Estate Planning
Why Everyone Needs to Keep Their Estate Plan Updated

As the world and its laws continue to evolve, everyone needs to keep their estate plans up to date. An es...

Estate Planning
Your Rights As The Parent Of A Young Adult — What You Need To Know When A Medical Crisis Hits

As a parent, you are quite accustomed to managing your children's legal and medical affairs, as circumsta...

Estate Planning
5 Reasons Why Shopping For The Cheapest Estate Plan Could Leave Your Family With An Unintended Mess

In most cases, from the most sophisticated business people with the highest net worth to those just start...

Estate Planning
Will Your Estate Plan Work When Your Family Needs It?

Like most people, you likely think estate planning is just one more task to check off your life’s endless...

Estate Planning
Revocable Living Trust or Irrevocable Trust: Which One Is Right For You?

You’ve probably heard you need a trust to keep your family out of court and maybe out of conflict in the ...

Estate Planning
Creditors And Your Estate Plan

What Happens To Your Debt When You Die? Maybe you’ve wondered about your own debt or perhaps your parent’...

Estate Planning
Will The Coming Wealth Transfer Be A Blessing Or A Curse For Your Family?

Whether it’s called “The Great Wealth Transfer,” “The Silver Tsunami,” or some other catchy sounding name...

Estate Planning
How Will A Recession Affect Your Family?

As you’ve surely heard by now, we’re in the midst of great economic shifts. The collapse of the crypto ma...

Estate Planning
How To Manage Your Digital Accounts After Your Death Part—3

If you have preferences about what happens to your digital footprint after your death, you need to take a...

Estate Planning
How To Manage Your Digital Accounts After Your Death Part—2

If you have preferences about what happens to your digital footprint after your death, you need to take a...

Estate Planning
How To Manage Your Digital Accounts After Your Death—Part 1

If you have preferences about what happens to your digital footprint after your death, you need to take a...

Estate Planning
2022 Estate Planning Checkup: Is Your Estate Plan Up-To-Date?

This year, Estate Planning Awareness Week runs from October 17th to 23rd, and one of our primary goals is...

wills and trusts, Estate Planning
How To Choose the Right Trustee

Before we talk about how to choose the right Trustee, let’s talk about what a Trustee does and whether yo...

Estate Planning
Selling Real Estate Or A Business? Avoid Capital Gains Tax With A Charitable Remainder Trust

If you have a sale of real estate or assets coming up that will result in you owing capital gains tax, yo...

Estate Planning
How Estate Planning Can Reduce The High Cost Of Dying—Part 2

Despite the fact that it happens to every single one of us and is as every bit as natural as birth, very ...

Estate Planning
How Estate Planning Can Reduce The High Cost Of Dying—Part 1

Despite the fact that it happens to every single one of us and is as every bit as natural as birth, very ...

Estate Planning
5 Common Estate Planning Concerns For Your Second (Or More) Marriage

With divorce occurring in roughly 50% of all marriages in the U.S. and life expectancy increasing every d...

Estate Planning
3 Reasons Why Single Folks With No Children Need An Estate Plan

These days, more and more young people are delaying—if not totally foregoing—a life that involves marriag...

Estate Planning
How To Pass On Family Heirlooms & Keepsakes Without Causing A Family Feud

When creating an estate plan, people are often most concerned with passing on the “big things” like real ...

Life Planning, Estate Planning
How Creating A Life & Legacy Plan Creates And Preserves Your Family's Legacy

When you think about loved ones who’ve passed away, you probably don’t think very much—or even at all—abo...

Asset Protection, Kids Protection Planning, Estate Planning
3 Reasons Why Transferring Ownership Of Your Home To Your Child Is A Bad Idea

Whether it’s to qualify for Medicaid, avoid probate, or reduce your tax burden, transferring ownership of...

Asset Protection, Kids Protection Planning, Estate Planning
How Naming Guardians For Your Kids In Your Will Can Leave Them At Risk

If you are a mom or dad with children under the age of 18 at home, your number-one estate planning priori...

Asset Protection, Family Financial Planning, Estate Planning
Does Your Family Need Umbrella Insurance?

In today’s highly litigious society you are at near-constant risk for costly lawsuits—even if you’ve done...

Asset Protection, wills and trusts, Estate Planning
Probate: What It Is & How To Avoid It—Part 2

Unless you’ve created an estate plan that works to keep your family out of court, when you die (or become...

Asset Protection, Family Financial Planning, Estate Planning
Probate: What It Is & How To Avoid It—Part 1

Unless you’ve created a proper estate plan, when you die many of your assets must first pass through the ...

Asset Protection, Life Planning, Estate Planning
Protect Your Home, Family, and Assets From The Threat Of Natural Disasters

Over just the last two years, we’ve seen historic levels of damage caused by natural disasters in the U.S...

Kids Protection Planning, Life Planning, Estate Planning
What To Expect From Your Initial Meeting With A Personal Family Lawyer®

Whether you’ve met with an estate planning lawyer before or it’s your first time, it’s important to under...

Asset Protection, Family Financial Planning, Life Planning, Estate Planning
4 Reasons Why Estate Planning Is So Essential For Business Owners

If you are running a business, it’s easy to give estate planning less priority than your other business m...

Asset Protection, Enlightened Insurance, Family Financial Planning, Estate Planning
Purchasing Life Insurance For Your Family: What You Need To Know

Life insurance is a key component of your family’s estate plan, offering those who depend on you for thei...

Kids Protection Planning, Awakened Parenting, Estate Planning
Don’t Leave Your Children With The Babysitter Until You Read This

As we head into the third year of the pandemic, we are coming to terms with just how fragile our lives an...

Asset Protection, Life Planning, wills and trusts, Estate Planning
Why Putting Your Family Home In A Trust Is A Smart Move—Part 2

This article is part two of a two-part series on the benefits of putting your home in a trust. Part one o...

Kids Protection Planning, Planning for Seniors, Estate Planning
How to Pass Down Your Family Wealth Legacy During The Holidays

As you likely already know, but may not have given much thought about, the most important inheritance you...

Enlightened Insurance, Caring for Elderly Parents, Life Planning, Planning for Seniors, Estate Planning
FAQs About Long-Term Care Insurance

Our nation’s population is aging at a faster rate than ever before, and collectively we are living much l...

Life Planning, wills and trusts, Estate Planning
10 Things You Should Know About Living Wills

When it comes to estate planning, you’ve most likely heard people mention a couple of different types of ...

Kids Protection Planning, Life Planning, wills and trusts, Estate Planning
Think You Are Too Young to Need An Estate Plan? Think Again.

The pandemic has caused Americans to change their behavior in a number of different ways, and one of the ...

Asset Protection, Kids Protection Planning, Life Planning, Estate Planning
2021 Estate Planning Checkup: Is Your Estate Plan Up to Date?

Even if you put a totally solid estate plan in place, it can turn out to be worthless for the people you ...

Awakened Parenting, Life Planning, Blended Family Issues, Estate Planning
How Estate Planning Can Bring Blended Families Closer

Yours, mine and ours … in today’s modern family, it’s oh so common. The blended family is the product of ...

wills and trusts, Save Money On Your Taxes, Estate Planning
With Tax Laws in Flux: What Should You Do Now?

On September 13, 2021, Democrats in the House of Representatives released a new $3.5 trillion proposed sp...

wills and trusts, Save Money On Your Taxes, Estate Planning
Proposed Changes To Tax Laws That Will Impact Estate Planning—Part 1

On September 13, 2021, Democrats in the House of Representatives released a new $3.5 trillion proposed sp...

Estate Planning Mistakes, Kids Protection Planning, Awakened Parenting, Life Planning, Estate Planning
Estate Planning Must-Haves For Single Parents

If you are a single parent, life for you right now probably couldn’t get any busier. You are likely being...

Estate Planning Mistakes, wills and trusts, Estate Planning
Estate Planning 101: Wills vs. Trusts

Wills and trusts are two of the most commonly used estate planning documents, and they form the foundatio...

Estate Planning Mistakes, Planning for Your Pets, Estate Planning
Don't Forget To Protect Your Furry Family: Estate Planning For Your Pets

It’s sad but true that many pets end up in shelters after their owner dies or becomes incapacitated. In f...

Asset Protection, Life Planning, Estate Planning
All You Need to Know About Including Digital Assets In Your Estate Plan—Part 2

Recent advances in digital technology have made many aspects of our lives exponentially easier and more c...

Asset Protection, Life Planning, Estate Planning
All You Need to Know About Including Digital Assets In Your Estate Plan—Part 1

Recent advances in digital technology have made many aspects of our lives exponentially easier and more c...

Estate Planning Mistakes, Kids Protection Planning, Awakened Parenting, Family Financial Planning, Estate Planning
Estate Planning For A Child With Special Needs: What Parents Need To Know

Estate planning is an obvious concern for all parents, but if you have a child with special needs, it’s c...

Kids Protection Planning, Awakened Parenting, Same Gender Couples, Estate Planning
3 Estate Planning Issues For LGBTQ Couples—Part 2

Whether you are married or not, if you are involved in a committed partnership with another individual, e...

Asset Protection, Kids Protection Planning, Same Gender Couples, Estate Planning
3 Estate Planning Issues For LGBTQ+ Couples—Part 1

Whether you are married or in a committed partnership, estate planning is about much more than planning f...

PFL® firms in your area

virginia

Hi, I’m Pam Starsia. I became a Personal Family Lawyer because I’m passionate about educating and empowering people to create estate, life, ...

Juniper Law, PLLC

I became a Personal Family Lawyer to help people like you and families like yours plan for the future. Facing the potential for incapacity a...

Das Law, PLLC

Let’s talk about your death . . . or incapacity. If something unfortunate happens, what will happen to your assets that you’ve worked so har...

Legacy Lawyers, PLLC

Hi. I’m John W. Heck. I became a Personal Family Lawyer because I have seen the consequences of failed estate planning in my immediate famil...

Edris Law

In my practice, I focus on Family Protection, Wealth Preservation, and Value-Based Planning. I’m also experienced with wealth planning strat...

Brown Law Offices

Lisa Brown Esq. is the principal attorney for Brown Law Offices. She received her J.D. from The George Washington University Law School and ...

Millennium Attorney

Naureen Rahman has been practicing law for over twenty years in the Maryland, DC-Metropolitan area. She has practiced across numerous sector...

Reflections Life Planning, LLC

I love being able to guide my clients through a unique planning process that empowers them to live a financially fulfilling life now while e...

I am an attorney dedicated to helping families in Virginia navigate the world of estate planning. With over 22 years of legal experience, I'...

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