Virginia Beach Estate Planning Lawyers | Wills & Trusts Attorney | Shannon & Associates, P.C.
Wills: A will is a document through which you designate the destination of your property, real and personal. Certain legal limitations exist — for example, your estate must satisfy taxes so that certain beneficiaries (individuals for whom you provided to receive your property) may receive the property per your will. That is the reason estate planning is so important. Our attorneys study the consequences of your will and the legal requirements in order to maximize the property disposition according to your goals.
Trusts: Trusts come in different forms. A living trust is in effect while you are alive, but a trust can also be activated at your death through your will. The former would not be included in your probate estate because it is deemed by the law to no longer be your property, since the legal title of the property that encompasses the trust is with the trustee. A testamentary trust, however — the one created at your death through your will — consists of property you owned until your death. This kind of trust can be beneficial in providing for minor children or grandchildren after your death without passing the property to them.
Guardianships and conservatorships: Our attorneys help you plan in case you become physically or mentally incapacitated and deemed legally unable to make decisions. Through a court-supervised guardianship, an individual is appointed to care for your affairs, according to your previously decided instructions. The guardianship lasts until you are no longer deemed legally incapacitated or until your death.
Powers of attorney. This gives someone else the power to make decisions on your behalf. It helps protect your property by allowing someone else to step into your shoes and even go to court to enforce any rights you have in the specific property designated in a power of attorney. A power of attorney is helpful when you are in frail health and could benefit from having someone else undertake the burden of taking action.
Shannon & Associates, P.C. serves the Norfolk, Chesapeake and Virginia Beach areas in family and estate law matters. Our office is conveniently located near the Greenbrier Mall and is accessible via I-64 and public transportation. Call (757) 228-5529 or send us a message to get started with your estate planning process.